David Nikolic

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: First Season

David Nikolic is in his first season as assistant coach of the Northwestern women's soccer program. He comes to Northwestern after spending the last 18 seasons alongside head coach Michael Moynihan at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, including the last nine as associate head coach.

"I am extremely excited to have David join me at Northwestern," Moynihan said. "David brings a wealth of soccer knowledge and we share a similar vision. He also is incredibly passionate about the sport and his strong character makes him a positive role model for the team. It's been an honor to share the sidelines with him for the last 18 seasons and I'm looking forward to many more."

"I'm very excited to come to Northwestern and be a part of the Wildcat family," Nikolic said. "I appreciate everything that Mike Moynihan, along with Dr. Jim Phillips and Janna Blais, have done to bring me on staff. The support I've already received and the welcome that I have felt is beyond words. I'm very eager to get going. Mike and I have had a great working relationship for the last 18 years and I expect that to continue. We've known each other about 30 years, so we're pretty in tune with what each other can do, and I look to support him in every possible way. We have great aspirations for this program."

Nikolic helped Moynihan build UWM into a program that won 12-straight Horizon League titles and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances during their tenure. He was named this year's NSCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year as he helped coach the Panthers to one of their best seasons in program history. During the 2011 campaign, UWM won a school-record 19 matches, made its ninth NCAA appearance and rose as high as No. 10 in the NSCAA Top 25 and No. 9 in the Soccer America national poll.

The Milwaukee, Wis., native, is a USSF `B' licensed coach and also has coached the Chicago Red Eleven of the USL W-League, was the Region II ODP age group head coach for the 1992 age group in 2009 and 2010 and was a head coach in the Wisconsin State ODP program (Region II ODP finalists in 1999, 2001 and 2003). Additionally, Nikolic was the head coach for the Milwaukee Kickers Adult Men's Majors Team from 2004-08 and took the F.C. Milwaukee U-23 men's team to the national semifinal in 2001.

In addition to his collegiate and club coaching career, Nikolic has coaching experience at the high school level. He was the assistant coach at Wauwatosa East High School before moving to Milwaukee Pius XI, where he led the Lady Popes to an undefeated season, a state championship and a No. 16 national ranking.

Nikolic earned his bachelor's degree from UWM in 1992, graduating with degrees in mass communication and history. David and his wife Brittany, who is the head women's soccer coach at Alverno College, gave birth to their son, George, in January 2012.