Florida Gators bring in Nick Zimmerman from Mississippi State as new head coach

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Gators are bringing one of the nation’s rising coaching stars home. Florida has named Nick Zimmerman its new head soccer coach, director of athletics Scott Stricklin announced Friday, ushering in a new era for a program ready to surge.

Zimmerman returns to his home state after engineering a remarkable rise at Mississippi State. In just one season as the Bulldogs’ head coach, he steered MSU to the NCAA Tournament and made national noise with three top-10 victories in 2025—highlighted by a thrilling 3–2 upset of No. 1 Tennessee.

“Nick is a proven builder of winning programs,” Stricklin said. “His results are not accidental—he recruits at a high level, develops talent, and instills a standard that produces sustained success. He’s equally committed to developing young women as competitors and leaders, and that commitment shows up in how his teams train, compete, and grow over time. Florida Soccer expects to compete for championships and Nick embraces that expectation. His vision, discipline and competitive DNA make him the right leader for this moment in our program. We’re excited to welcome Nick and Massey to the Gator Family and get to work.”

His impact in Starkville began long before his head coaching promotion. Joining the program in 2019, Zimmerman helped transform MSU from a team with a limited postseason history into a consistent national contender. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs earned four straight NCAA Tournament berths, six SEC Tournament appearances and captured the program’s first-ever SEC regular-season championship with a perfect 10–0 record in 2024.

“Florida is a place where championships are possible, and I’m excited for the opportunity to help lead this program back to the NCAA Tournament,” Zimmerman said. This is a dream position for me. The University of Florida offers everything that resonates with top recruits—an elite athletic department, world-class facilities and support along with a top-10 academic experience.”

“We’re going to establish a clear vision and an attack-minded identity from day one, and we’ll train it with purpose every single day,” he continued. “There is tremendous potential within this Gators roster, and I can’t wait to get to Gainesville, meet the team, and begin building toward the goals we’ll set together. Go Gators!”

A relentless recruiter, Zimmerman also elevated MSU’s talent pipeline. Mississippi State had never cracked TopDrawerSoccer’s top-50 recruiting rankings before his arrival; under his leadership, the Bulldogs earned recognition four times beginning in 2020.

A Sunshine State product, Zimmerman starred at James Madison before embarking on a professional career and ultimately moving into collegiate coaching.

Zimmerman becomes the fourth head coach in Florida soccer history and will lead the Gators into their 32nd season in fall 2026.