STARKVILLE – Mississippi State Athletic Director Zac Selmon wasted no time in finding a replacement for outgoing soccer coach Nick Zimmerman.
Just 48 hours after Zimmerman’s announcement that he had accepted the job at Florida, Selmon was introducing the team to new head coach Kevin O’Brien.
O’Brien joins the Bulldogs after 14 years at Lipscomb, where he accumulated a 155-81-37 record with winning seasons in each of the last 12 years. He leaves Nashville as the winningest coach in the Bisons’ soccer history, winning 12 combined Atlantic Sun Conference regular season and tournament titles and making five NCAA Tournament appearances.
Bulldog fans will recognize O’Brien from postseason matchups in 2018 and 2025, both of which ended in 1-0 defeats to Lipscomb in Starkville.
“I am incredibly honored to join Mississippi State and lead this exceptional group of young women,” O’Brien said. “Over the years, my family and I have felt the passion, pride and warmth that define the Starkville community and the Bulldog family every time we visited campus. I am deeply grateful to Zac Selmon for his belief in me. It is clear that we are fully aligned in our commitment to competitive excellence and to developing our student-athletes not only into the best players they can be but into strong leaders in life. Mississippi State is a special place, and Shannon and I are excited to invest in this program, our student-athletes and a community that cares so deeply. I cannot wait to get started.”
O’Brien’s wife, Shannon, is also a coach. She currently coaches the women’s golf team at Lipscomb, and previously worked alongside her husband as an assistant soccer coach.
Selmon remarked on Friday that he wanted to find a head coach who could continue the program’s positive trajectory, and in O’Brien he has also found an experienced coach with a track record of program building.
“Kevin O’Brien brings a track record of success and a relentless competitive spirit that matches the standards we hold at Mississippi State,” Selmon said in a press release. “His vision for our soccer program, combined with his focus on developing student-athletes holistically, positions us for long-term success. We are excited to welcome Kevin and Shannon to the Mississippi State family and cannot wait to see the future he builds for our program.”
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