Nicole Nelson

Biography

Head Coach Nicole Nelson enters her fifth season at the helm of the Mustangs in 2026. Nelson will enter her 26th season coaching collegiate soccer and 12th 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 boasts a record of 35-27-10 and has compiled a career record of 97-92-25 in 11 years as a head coach with the Mustangs, Oklahoma, and Stephen F. Austin. Before coming to SMU, Nelson served as the head coach at Oklahoma from 2007 to 2011, where she led the Sooners to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 and was named co-Big 12 Coach of the Year. Prior to Oklahoma, Nelson served as the head coach of the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team from 2002-2004, leading the team to two Southland Conference Championships. Nelson also spent time as an assistant coach at Texas and Baylor. Before her coaching career, Nelson played semi-professional soccer for the Austin Lonestars and was a team captain at Oklahoma City University from 1995-1997, earning three-time All-Sooner Athletic Conference honors and Academic All-American recognition. Nelson holds a USFF A Coaching License and earned degrees in psychology and Spanish from Oklahoma City University, along with a master's degree in Kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin.