The Florida Gators soccer team has hired Nick Zimmerman as the new head coach of the program, athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Friday.
Zimmerman served as head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs last season, leading the team to an NCAA Tournament berth. Zimmerman previously served as the assistant coach for the Bulldogs, joining the program in 2019.
“This is a dream job,” Zimmerman said. “I know the work that needs to be done, but I’m very excited for the opportunity.”
During his stint with MSU, the Bulldogs earned a berth in the last four NCAA Tournaments and last four SEC Tournaments. In addition, the team earned its first SEC regular-season title in 2024 with a 10-0 conference record.
"Nick is a proven builder of winning programs,” Stricklin said. “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.”
Mississippi State’s recruiting elevated during Zimmerman’s tenure. Under him, the Bulldogs cracked TopDrawerSoccer’s top-50 recruiting rankings four times since 2020. MSU never ranked in the top 50 before Zimmerman’s arrival. The Gators’ new head coach said he plans to utilize both the transfer portal and international recruiting.
“We want players that ultimately do have aspirations to play at the next level,” Zimmerman said. “We're going to make sure that the players that we're bringing in ultimately fit the style that we want to.”
Before arriving at Starkville, Mississippi, Zimmerman helped power an explosive offense at Columbus State from 2015-18. During the 2016 season, the Lady Cougars set a program record of 96 goals and led Division II with four goals per match.
Zimmerman’s offensive mind will be needed this upcoming season. Florida has struggled to score goals the last three years, averaging 1.41 goals per game in 2023 and 2025, and an SEC-low 0.72 in 2024.
“We want to dominate the ball,” Zimmerman said. “It's going to be a very attack minded team that wants to score goals.”
Florida’s current roster has expressed its excitement for the program’s new leader, according to redshirt sophomore goalie Paloma Peña.
“He made everyone want to run through a brick wall,” Peña said. “I've already gotten so many texts from the players, like, we're ready to do this.”
Zimmerman joins a Gators team that has not qualified for NCAA play under three different coaches since 2019 and has recorded just four SEC victories in the last three seasons. He became the fourth soccer head coach in Florida history.
“The standards are going to be pretty clear,” Zimmerman said. “We're looking at a group that has to have the same passion that myself and my staff have.”
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian is a senior journalism major and the soccer reporter for Fall 2025. He enjoys playing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about South Florida sports.
