AWARDS & ACCOLADES
As Head Coach at SMU
AAC 2022 Midfielder of the Year
AAC 2023 Freshman of the Year
AAC 2023 Freshman of the Year
2 NSCAA/USC All-Region Players
1 ACC All-Conferene Player
5 AAC First Team All-Conference Players
2 AAC All-Freshman Players
8 AAC All-Tournament Team Players
Career Head Coaching Totals
2 NCAA Appearances
1 NCAA All-American
33 All-Conference Honors
3 NSCAA/USC All-Region Honors
2 SLC Coach of the Year
1 Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year
2 Conference Championships
4 Conference Championship Finals
5 10+ Win Seasons
13 players signed to professional clubs
Talent Scout for US Soccer Identification Centers and Development Academy
USFF A Coaching License
Head Coach Nicole Nelson enters her fourth season at the helm of the Mustangs in 2025.
Nelson will enter her 25th season coaching collegiate soccer and 11th as a head coach. She previously served eight seasons as an associate head coach at SMU under former National Coach of the Year Chris Petrucelli.
During her tenure as head coach at SMU, she has boast a record of 27-19-8 and has compiled a career record of 89-85-23 in 10 years as a head coach with the Mustangs, Oklahoma, and Stephen F. Austin.
Nelson ushered in a new era of women's soccer on the Hilltop as she led the Mustangs in their inaugural season in the ACC. She led SMU to six wins as the team scored 32 goals in 2024, the most under Nelson and the most since 2019. On the defensive side, the Mustangs recorded four shutouts during the season and had eight of the team's 10 ACC games decided by one goal or less. The Mustangs faced nine teams that held a top-25 ranking at least once during the season and seven that were ranked when the teams played. Nelson oversaw the development of Nyah Rose who earned third team All-ACC honors and was called up to play for Canada's National Team.
The Mustangs have been outstanding inside Washburne Stadium under Nelson, putting together a record of 16-8-1, which has helped SMU record back-to-back 10+ win seasons.
Nelson led SMU to an 11-6-1 record in her second season as head coach of the Mustangs, including a 5-3-1 mark in conference play. Nelson helped take SMU to its second consecutive AAC Tournament Final after finishing third in the conference's regular season. The Mustangs went 4-1-1 at Washburne Stadium, including a ranked win over No. 25 Tennessee and a 1-0 shutout victory over Oklahoma State. SMU received votes in five of the United Soccer Coaches Poll throughout the season, during which the Mustangs recorded six shutouts and held opponents to one or fewer goals in 13 matches. Freshman Nyah Rose was named AAC-Co Rookie of the Year and All-AAC after finishing second in the conference with 11 goals. Peyton Annen was named to the All-AAC Second Team, with freshman Emma Alvord joining Rose on the AAC's All-Rookie Team.
In Nelson's first season as head coach at SMU, the Mustangs finished 10-4-5, reaching the AAC Tournament Final for the first time since 2016. The Mustangs were undefeated out of conference with a 5-0-3 mark and were as high as No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The program set season records for goals against average (0.68) and save percentage (.854). Courtney Sebazco was a Hermann Trophy candidate and AAC Midfielder of the Year. Jewel Boland and Julissa Cisneros were All-AAC Second Team, while Peyton Annen made the AAC All-Freshman Team.
Nelson spent eight seasons as an associate head coach and assistant coach for the Mustangs from 2012-2019. During that time she helped establish a winning culture on the Hilltop, as SMU has had seven double-digit win seasons in the past eight years.
Before founding Nicole Nelson High-Performance Consulting. As a High-Performance Consultant & Crucial Competencies Coach, she specialized in serving high-performance coaches, athletic administrators and athletes who are self-motivated to improve performance, exceed perceived limitations, embody their full potential, and positively impact others while doing so.
In addition to her coaching career at SMU, Nelson has served as an adjunct faculty member for SMU Sport Performance Leadership and earned a master’s certificate in Executive Leadership Coaching and Conflict Management. Outside of SMU, she continues to work as a talent scout for US Soccer Identification Centers and Development Academy which she has done since 2017.
In 2019 on the Hilltop, Nelson helped SMU to its fourth-straight 10-plus-win season, notching a 12-7-1 record, including a draw with No. 25 Oklahoma State, and helping SMU to a ranking as high as No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Mustangs made an appearance in the postseason at the AAC tournament semifinal match. Player highlights for SMU included two All-AAC First-Team picks, two All-AAC All-Rookie choices and two All-AAC All-Tournament Team selections in addition to a CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team honoree.
In 2018, Nelson assisted SMU to a ranking as high as No. 18. Three athletes received All-American Athletic Conference honors, including Allie Thornton with a First-Team selection and Courtney Sebazco with the Rookie of the Year honor. In 2017, the Mustangs reached No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, the first time being ranked since 2006. SMU finished the season with three wins against top-25 teams (No. 17 Arkansas, No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 21 Cincinnati). The Mustangs also advanced to the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal for the fourth time in five seasons. Four student-athletes earned AAC honors, including Claire Oates and Allie Thornton, who were named to the All-AAC First and Second Teams, respectively. Freshmen Hannah Allred and Isabelle Nashmi were named to The American All-Rookie Team.
In 2016, Nelson helped lead the Mustangs to a 13-7-2 overall record en route to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006, as well as runner-up honors at the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Five student-athletes were named to AAC All-Conference teams, including Vanessa Valadez and Thornton, who earned First-Team honors. Following the AAC Championship, four members were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team. In 2014, Nelson helped guide freshman Claire Oates to conference Rookie of the Year honors and Second-Team All-Conference accolades.
Before coming to SMU, Nelson served as the head coach at Oklahoma from 2007 to 2011. During her time at OU, Nelson led the Sooners to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 as she was named co-Big 12 Coach of the Year. That year, the team ended with the highest Big 12 finish in program history (T-3rd) and advanced to the Big 12 championship game, making it the first time that the program advanced past the first round. She coached players to numerous all-conference and all-region honors as well as several academic awards and had three athletes drafted to professional programs.
In July 2010, Nelson worked as a U.S. Soccer Region III age group coach. She was a member of the Olympic Development Program for Region III for nine years and served as the head coach of the US Soccer Region III '97 Age Group from July 2010-May 2013. Nelson took the team to events in Costa Rica and on a European Tour in March of 2013, where the team played games in Germany and Switzerland.
Nelson spent two years as an at Texas (2006-07) under Petrucelli, where she served as the recruiting coordinator. She helped coach a Longhorn team that won back-to-back postseason Big 12 Championships in 2006 and 2007, and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 both years. In 2005, Nelson served as the recruiting coordinator and an assistant coach at Baylor.
Prior to her time at Baylor, Nelson served as the head coach of the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team (2002-2004), leading the team to two Southland Conference Championships. In her second year at the helm, Nelson's Jacks won the conference tournament and made the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003. In 2004, SFA won the regular season Southland Championship and Nelson was named the conference coach of the year for the second consecutive season. She led 25 student-athletes to All-SLC honors over three seasons and left the Jacks with the most wins in program history. Nelson served as an assistant at SFA during the 2001 season.
Before she started her career in coaching, Nelson played semi-professional soccer for the Austin Lonestars (W-League). Following that stint, she worked with numerous clubs and camps before taking her first position in the collegiate ranks as a volunteer assistant at her alma mater in 2000-01.
As a player, Nelson started every game and was the team captain in 1995, 1996 and 1997 at Oklahoma City University under Brian Harvey. Nelson was a three-time All-Sooner Athletic Conference member and Academic All-American. She began her collegiate career at Texas A&M University as a freshman and concluded it at OCU as an All-American (honorable mention).
Nelson has held a USFF A Coaching License since 2006.
Nelson earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish in 1997 at Oklahoma City University, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. She received her master’s degree in Kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin in May 2005.
She also earned a master’s certificate in Executive Leadership Coaching and Conflict Management. Outside of SMU, she continues to work as a talent scout for US Soccer Identification Centers and Development Academy.
Nelson and her wife, Lee Ann Riley, reside in Dallas.
