STARKVILLE — Mississippi State announced the final addition to Nick Zimmerman’s coaching staff this week, naming Henry Zapata as an assistant coach.
Zapata joins the staff to work mainly on the defensive side of the game and assist in recruiting. He was most recently the associate head coach under Steve Holeman at Texas State, who finished runners-up to James Madison in the Sun Belt Conference last season.
“We are very excited to welcome Henry and his family to Starkville,” Zimmerman said of his new assistant. “His passion for recruiting, his building of relationships with the players and his tireless work rate are exactly the type of qualities we want here at Mississippi State.”
Zapata previously worked with Iowa State, Lamar, Elon, Georgia and the College of Charleston in a career that spans more than a decade. He joins a team of coaches that now includes the reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year Jonathan Garbar and Kat Stratton, who helped turn the Bulldogs around over the last five seasons alongside Zimmerman and previous head coach James Armstrong.
“I’m very excited to be joining the Mississippi State women’s soccer program,” Zapata said. “I’m looking forward to working with this team and this staff. The work that they have put in over the last few years is amazing and the results have shown. Being able to work and learn from Nick is something that excites me about coming to Starkville. I want to help this team keep growing and continue to move forward as one of the best programs in the country.”
At Elon, he led goalkeeper training, and the team achieved a then-program-record four consecutive shutouts. The Phoenix closed the 2015 season with eight shutouts. In his first stint in the SEC, Zapata helped Georgia to a No. 14 ranking and saw three players earn All-SEC honors. Those Bulldogs recorded eight consecutive shutouts and finished the 2014 season with 11 on the year.
Zapata earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism in 2008 and a master’s degree in sport management in 2011, both from Illinois. He holds a USSF National “B” coaching license.
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