STARKVILLE – Nick Zimmermanone of college football’s most dynamic recruiters and influential assistant coaches in the last decade has been named the seventh head football coach in Mississippi State history, athletics director Zac Selmon announced Tuesday.

“In Nick Zimmerman“In his time at Mississippi State, we have seen firsthand that he is a tireless recruiter, a great talent developer and a fearless competitor who instills confidence in the young women he leads,” Selmon said. “Nick has a clear plan” for what Mississippi State Soccer can accomplish, and we know our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans are excited to see him officially at the helm. We are happy for Nick and Massey and know they are looking forward to staying home here in Starkville, Mississippi.

Zimmerman has spent the last six seasons in Starkville and was a driving force behind the Bulldogs’ SEC championship run and their rise to the No. 1 national ranking in 2024. He is widely regarded as an innovative Xs and Os mind and elite builder -Culture.

From day one, Zimmerman has been a leader in the Starkville community, tirelessly promoting the program and helping drive record-breaking attendance at the MSU football field. Mississippi State posted its five best attendance numbers of the 2024 season, highlighted by a crowd of 4,022 in the Bulldogs’ 1-0 win over Washington in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the largest crowd in the program’s history and the highest attendance nationally for a second-round game.

“It is an honor to lead Mississippi State Soccer and we are excited for the opportunity to continue their outstanding success,” Zimmerman said. “I’m Zac Selmon, Dr. Incredibly grateful to Mark Keenum, the mentors along the way, and all the staff and players I get to work with every day. Our players who are resilient, talented and incredibly laid back.” I want to thank all the players, past and present, who have made this program what it is today. We can’t wait to take this special program to new levels for our community and our loved ones at the University. The resources this program has received and the plans Zac and I have discussed make me even more excited about the bright future here in Starkville!”

Zimmerman, who helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances, has a proven background in talent development. During his tenure at MSU, he specialized in working with the Bulldogs’ forwards and midfielders, a focus that has produced impressive results. During the 2024 season, Zimmerman coached five different players to All-SEC honors including: Ally Perry (First Team), Macey Hodge (Midfielder of the Year), Kennedy husbands (All Freshman), Zoe Main (Second team) and Aitana Martinez Montoya (Third team). Under Zimmerman’s tutelage, 14 different Bulldogs scored goals this season, and Perry led the SEC with 96 shots. The Bulldogs finished the year with 45 goals.

In 2023, Zimmerman played a crucial role in MSU scoring 26 goals with an impressive .421 goalscoring percentage. State picked up the pace, averaging 12.2 shots per game. His contributions were instrumental in the Mississippi State Soccer Staff being named the 2023 NCAA Southeast Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches. The team reached a historic milestone by finishing 14th in the nation.

Zimmerman’s offensive strategies brought the Bulldogs to life in 2022, producing 282 shots and 123 shots on goal, both tied for ninth in school history. The team’s 28 goals also made it into the top 10, marking the first time since 2018 that the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by more than five goals.

In his third season, the Bulldogs took a more aggressive offensive approach with 194 shot attempts and 88 shots on goal. Despite the challenges of the 2020 season due to the global pandemic, Zimmerman led the team to a strong finish. In a 13-game season, the Bulldogs averaged 1.38 goals per game and 12 shots per game. Particularly notable was the spring segment, in which eleven different players were involved in eleven goals in four games and seven were different scorers.

Zimmerman’s first season in Starkville was marked by setting new program records for goals, assists and points in conference play. The Bulldogs averaged 15.1 shots per game in SEC play, ranking fourth in the league. His technical leadership was evident as nine Bulldogs scored at least once in 2019, including six first-time scorers, and 16 players scored points, the most since 2008.

Prior to Mississippi State, he was an assistant coach at Columbus State for four seasons, where he was instrumental in building a top-three scoring offense in the country.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Zimmerman has worked with Region II, US Soccer NTC and ID2 US Club Soccer. He served at elite camps at the University of Virginia and Florida State University and served as head coach of the 2000 Georgia Girls’ Olympic Development Program (ODP) team. He is also a U.S. Soccer Association coaching course director and a member of United’s NCAA Ranking and Awards Board Soccer coaches. Zimmerman holds a USSF “B” license.

As a player, Zimmerman was a standout at James Madison University, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rookie team honors, two All-CAA selections and one All-Region honor. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Sports Management, he was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and later selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft. He played with Carolina Railhawks FC in the NASL, earning NASL Best XI honors in 2012 and finishing second in the Golden Boot race. His professional career ended in 2015 with the Wilmington Hammerheads in the USL.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Zimmerman also represented the U.S. U-15 national team in 2001.

Zimmerman is engaged to Massey Miley and the couple is scheduled to marry in 2025.