University of Illinois at Chicago

Univ of Illinois at Chicago Athletic Dept
Flames Athletic Center 839 W. Roosevelt Rd Chicago, IL 60607

Division 1 Illinois Midwest

Public Very Large National competitor

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David Nikolic

A familiar name to the Chicagoland and Horizon League soccer communities, David Nikolic (NICK-o-litch) was named head women’s soccer coach for the UIC Flames by Director of Athletics Michael Lipitz on April 29, 2021.

In his first season coaching with the Flames, Nikolic coached the Second-Team Academic All-American, Lena Kurz. Kurz finished with 76 saves on the season, ranking her third in the Horizon League in total saves. Nikolic grabbed his first win as the Flames head coach with a 2-0 home win over Robert Morris on Oct. 7.

In his second year, he found more success, significantly improving the team's record. UIC earned the #3 seed in its inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Flames had the opportunity to host the quarterfinals, which ended in a penalty kick shootout that resulted in a loss for UIC. Nikolic coached up five All-MVC honorees during the 2022 season.

A coaching veteran of more than 25 years, Coach Nikolic came to UIC after nine seasons as the associate head coach at Northwestern University. He helped the Wildcats earn four straight NCAA Tournament berths from 2015-18, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2016. Northwestern also captured the 2016 Big Ten Regular Season Championship.

Prior to his tenure at Northwestern, Nikolic helped guide Milwaukee to 13 Horizon League regular season titles, 12 consecutive Horizon League Championships, and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. In that time, the Panthers amassed 225 total wins and a stellar 97-15-5 (.850) record in League play. He was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2011.

Northwestern broke through in a big way during Nikolic’s fourth season on the bench, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years. The following season, 2016, the Wildcats matched a program record with 16 victories and posted a record of 7-1-3 in conference play as they secured the first Big Ten championship in program history. The team advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1998.

Nikolic assisted in the development of All-American goalkeeper Lauren Clem in 2016 and a backline that registered 17 shutouts and a goals-against-average of .271 to lead the NCAA in both categories.

Three Wildcats entered the professional ranks in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) under Nikolic’s guidance. Three-time All-Big Ten selection Kayla Sharples was drafted by the hometown club, Chicago Red Stars, with the 26th pick in the 2019 NWSL Draft. That same year, two-time All-Big Ten honoree Marisa Viggiano was drafted by the Orlando Pride with the 30th selection. A few picks later, at 33rd overall, Wildcat Hannah Davison was also nabbed by the Red Stars.

All told Nikolic was on the bench for 82 victories at Northwestern, 37% of the program’s all-time total, and four of the program’s six NCAA Tournament bids.

Before his time in Evanston, Ill., Nikolic was instrumental in building Milwaukee women’s soccer into the Horizon League’s dominant program. From 1994-2011, the Panthers amassed 225 total wins, posted an .850 winning percentage in league play and won 12-straight league championships. The Panthers earned nine NCAA Tournament berths and advanced in three of those years. In Nikolic’s final season at his alma mater, Milwaukee posted a school record 19 victories and was ranked as high as 10th in the NSCAA top-25 poll, and ninth in Soccer America’s national poll.

Nikolic is a USSF `B' licensed coach. He has served as head coach of the Chicago Red Eleven of the USL W-League, was the Region II ODP age group head coach (1992) in 2009 and 2010 and was a head coach in the Wisconsin State Olympic Development Program. Nikolic helped the ODP group become 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.

Nikolic earned bachelor's degrees in mass communication and history from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1992. He and wife Brittany have two sons, George (9) and Sebastian (7).

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David Madsen

UIC women’s soccer head coach David Nikolic tabbed David Madsen to join the Flames staff as an assistant coach in May 2021. Madsen has history with Nikolic as the two worked the sidelines together at Milwaukee from 2010-11.

On the field, Madsen’s primary role at UIC is focused on goalkeeper preparation and performance. He also focuses on coordinating the program’s recruiting efforts and camps. Madsen also works closely with the strength and conditioning staff regarding the GPS tracking system the Flames utilize as a team.

“I am very excited to join David Nikolic’s staff here at UIC,” said Madsen. “Our first real opportunity to coach together was 11 years ago, and it was here in Chicago, so it’s fitting to reunite with him here.

“UIC offers a lot to the student-athletes and it is great to see how competitive the women’s soccer program has become in the short time it has existed,” added Madsen. “I am very thankful to David for thus opportunity, to Kelly Cook at Bucknell for my experience the past six years, and I eager to get to work and compete for the Horizon League Championship. Go Flames!”

Since departing Milwaukee in 2015, Madsen has served as an assistant coach at Bucknell University. There, he aided the Bison to 52 wins in six seasons and a mark of 30-14-6 (.660) in Patriot League play. Madsen was an integral member of the 2016 coaching group that was named the NSCAA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year as it guided the squad to a record of 16-2-2 and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years.

Madsen has a knack for training goalkeepers. He mentored Bucknell’s Jessica Ratner as she earned Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year plaudits in 2016, becoming the first Bison in program history to do so. Ratner picked up NSCAA All-Region honors under Madsen’s tutelage as her 11 shutouts ranked eighth in the NCAA that season.

Prior to his stint at Bucknell, Madsen was on staff alongside Nikolic at Milwaukee. There, he helped Jamie Forbes collect Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011. While with the Panthers, Madsen was part of four Horizon League Championship teams in five seasons.

Madsen was the head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Lakeland College from 2006-09. Prior to that he worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW), for three seasons.

A Milwaukee native, Madsen was a goalkeeper during his playing days at UWW, and he captained the team as a senior in 2002. He led the team to three NCAA Round of 16 appearances and was an NSCAA All-Region selection in 2002.

Madsen was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at UWW. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration in December 2003 and his master's in curriculum and instruction in December 2005. Madsen currently holds a United States Soccer Federation "B" License and an NSCAA Goalkeeping Level 3 diploma.

“I have known Dave since I coached him as a 15-year old goalkeeper on one of the top teams in the Midwest Region," said Nikolic. "We have worked closely together in the past and I know firsthand that his thirst for learning and growing as a coach is fantastic. He is a demanding trainer of goalkeepers and always is expanding his techniques to get more out of his players. He is loyal, extremely trustworthy and I am happy to be working with him again!"

Madsen arrives in Chicago with his wife Lisa, daughter Emma and son Luke.