STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will once again search for a new head soccer coach after the departure of Nick Zimmerman. The successor to James Armstrong is leaving Starkville after just one year in charge of the Bulldogs, heading to Florida to coach the Gators.

Zimmerman announced his departure on social media shortly before Gators media confirmed the appointment.

“One of the toughest things to do is to leave your family and to move on to the next opportunity,” Zimmerman said. “Today I am leaving my family here at Mississippi State to move back to my roots to be the head coach at the University of Florida in the state where I grew up and played. Here in Starkville, I have been blessed with great staff and administrative support, a faithful student body and fantastic players who have demonstrated their courage and passion in their hard work on and off the field. I am grateful for all the support I have received over the last seven years and I will never forget all of the things that we accomplished together. You have impacted my life and I am grateful for this time I had with you in Mississippi.”

Zimmerman first came to Starkville alongside Armstrong and was elevated to head coach after six years as an assistant coach when Armstrong left for the Auburn job. In his one season as MSU head coach, Zimmerman led the Bulldogs to a 12-7-1 finish, going 5-4-1 in SEC play. The team reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, losing 3-1 to LSU, and lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in a home match against Lipscomb.

Zimmerman’s recruiting prowess was a boost to both his own and Armstrong’s teambuilding in Starkville over the last few years.

“I think if I can recruit to Starkville, I can recruit to Gainesville,” Zimmerman said in his Florida announcement.

His departure also marks the second time in as many years that the Bulldogs lose a head soccer coach to a former athletic director at a rival SEC program, with John Cohen at Auburn and Scott Stricklin at Florida.

The Bulldogs held a team meeting on Thursday night, where Atheltic Director Zac Selmon met with the program and to signal the start of a head coaching search.

“Mississippi State Soccer is one of the top programs in the country, competing in the nation’s premier conference with outstanding support and momentum,” Selmon said in a statement to The Dispatch. “When I met with our team Thursday evening, I emphasized our strong commitment to their development and success. We will work to identify the next leader who will continue to advance a program with an established and respected national profile. We expect this to be a highly sought after position and will move forward with purpose and confidence through the process.”