Bringing The Energy Every Day

STARKVILLE – If you gaze towards the west end of the MSU Soccer Field after each match, you will find a hype man like no other pumping up the Maroon and White faithful in attendance.

That man is associate head coach Nick Zimmerman, and he is one-of-a-kind.

"Coach Zimmerman is like a brother to me," head coach James Armstrong said. "He's an incredible coach. Yes, he's the hype guy, but he's also very grounded. He's got a great relationship with the players, incredible work ethic [and] an incredible recruiter. He is everything you would ever hope for in an associate head coach."

Zimmerman's passion for the game is deeply rooted and goes back to his childhood in Rhode Island. With friends by his side, Zimmerman's aspiration to become a professional soccer player was ignited by playing on club teams and practicing nonstop to become the best player he could on the pitch.

But his dream seemed like a distant reality when his first match came around.

"I'll never forget, I showed up to a game and it was indoor, and I don't think I touched the ball," Zimmerman said. "I looked clueless out there. I thought, 'If I'm going to do this, I'd like to be decent.' So from then on, there was always a ball at my foot."

From that moment, Zimmerman was hooked. He would plead to his parents for Euro Sports catalogs, and anytime an opportunity presented itself to ask for something soccer related, Zimmerman would not hesitate to jump on it.

One bad moment not touching the ball led to Zimmerman becoming a student of the game. But the former athlete-turned-coach credits his faith for the opportunities that he has received throughout his career.

"By the grace of God, he gave me the opportunity to play at the highest level here in the United States," Zimmerman said. "Soccer has always been a part of me, and it means [everything] to be able to give back as a coach. I wake up every day incredibly thankful to do it with this group of ladies and this staff."

As a standout player for James Madison University, Zimmerman received multiple opportunities to take his talent to the next level as a professional soccer player. Everything he had dreamed of during his childhood was coming to fruition.

Zimmerman played for the New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union in MLS before his time at the Carolina Railhawks FC club in 2012 and the Wilmington Hammerheads in the USL in 2015.

During his stint in MLS, Zimmerman suffered a serious injury that required immediate surgery. Shortly after, Zimmerman decided to hang up the cleats and discovered another way to extract his passion for the game as a coach and mentor.

"I got hurt during one of the camps and ended up needing surgery. I went into it thinking it was nothing, but it turned out to be a microfracture, which a lot of times is potentially career-ending," Zimmerman said. "I was absolutely gutted. [Then], I fell in love with coaching. I love to give back."

That undeniable passion for mentoring and helping others chase their dreams as a coach led him to Starkville in 2019. As soon as Armstrong called, Zimmerman said, "When do we start?"

As Armstrong was finishing up at Auburn, Zimmerman drove through a devastating severe weather event to meet with his best friend to lay out the plans of building something everyone will remember for years to come at MSU.

"I felt we really could do something special," Zimmerman said. "Anyone that's a coach, that's competitive [and] that has a desire to try and be the best, looks at an opportunity like this and relishes it and wants to say, 'Let's do something special that nobody has ever done before.' And that has always kind of been our mantra. The last six years have been awesome."

Since becoming the associate head coach at State, Zimmerman has helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history, along with the first-ever Sweet 16 appearance last year.

When you stand at the rails that surround the pitch at the MSU Soccer Field and watch Zimmerman walk around to celebrate with the fans after a match, his aura is undeniable.

He brings a special flavor of intensity, determination and a competitive spirit that gives the Bulldogs that extra sliver of juice to inch them closer to their respective goals every time they step on the field.

There is no question, Zimmerman is no stranger to adversity. He has been on the biggest stages and under the brightest lights the world of soccer has to offer. But that is what makes him one of the greatest minds in the country.

Every player, fan, staff member and media personality that is around State's soccer program can sense the infectious personality that Zimmerman brings to the pitch every day.

The world's greatest hype man and one of the most brilliant soccer minds around aims to bring the most gritty and tough brand of soccer to the pitch for years to come.

"We've built the foundation of this program on grit," Zimmerman said. "It's the character of the people. It's the values that we've instilled in them. We're going to grab our lunch pails and we're going to go to work every day."

Mississippi State University Athletics

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