Bio
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dzimmerm@umbc.edu
Don Zimmerman has coached the game of lacrosse since 1977 having achieved the highest degree of success both on the collegiate and world stages. Despite having 30 years of experience, Coach Zimmerman maintained his level of exuberance when his 2006 UMBC squad produced an undefeated league season, won the America East title and returned to the NCAA Tournament.
“This is a terrific and highly competitive conference,” said Zimmerman. “It was very special to go through the league undefeated due to the quality of competition and caliber of teams which we face.”
It is hard to believe, but Don Zimmerman enters his 21st season as a collegiate head lacrosse coach. Widely recognized as one of this nation’s premier teachers of the sport of lacrosse, Coach Zimmerman traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to assist in the development of the game in the South American country in December of 2004. It was not Coach Zimmerman’s first venture in the international development of the sport—in fact, the Retriever mentor has taught the game on four different continents. He has spent time in Great Britain and Japan, and UMBC has hosted Keio University in fall competition in 2002, 2004 and 2006. The Retrievers travelled to Japan in the summer of 2005.
“The game of lacrosse is the best game out there and I would love to see it played in the Olympics,” said Coach Zimmerman. “It’s incumbent upon us to introduce and develop the game when opportunities occur in order to reach that goal.”
For over two decades he has taught the game to All Americans and beginners with the same basic principles. On January 25, 2002, Coach Zimmerman was honored with induction into the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame. UMBC standout defenseman Gary Clipp ('77) joined him as an inductee in a gala affair at Martin's West in Baltimore.
"My coaching philosophy has always focused on teaching the fundamentals - the little things that make the big difference. Lacrosse is a game of skill and precision, best played when using a simple, basic approach," said Coach Zimmerman.
In the spring of 1993, UMBC changed the complexion of its lacrosse program when they appointed Don Zimmerman as their head coach. Success did not happen overnight. After a 7-7 campaign in 1994, UMBC struggled to records of 4-9 and 3-9 the next two seasons. But even then, the program was changing. A position was created for a full-time assistant coach in 1996, and UMBC recruited a trio of players from The Boys’ Latin School that formed the nucleus of an evolving team.
Then, in 1997, UMBC was the most improved team (record-wise) in the country, finishing at 9-3 and posting its highest final season USILA ranking of #16. The 1998 season opened with tough losses to Navy and Towson, but a now more experienced team rebounded by winning eight of the next ten games, including a victory over #9 Georgetown. Then, on May 2, 1998, UMBC shocked everyone in the lacrosse world except themselves when they scored a 12-8 victory over #1 Maryland. The victory propelled UMBC into its first ever NCAA Division I Championship appearance and made the hard work of Coach Zimmerman and his staff worth the wait.
The 1999 Retrievers proved the previous year was no fluke, as wins over Navy, North Carolina, and Maryland once again landed UMBC in the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, UMBC took the second biggest leap in the lacrosse power rankings, from 29th to 13th. In its second America East Conference season in 2005, UMBC captured the regular season title by defeating Albany on its home field. Then, last season, the Retrievers peaked at just the right earning the Retrievers a berth to the NCAA Tournament, and Zimmerman’s tenth appearance.
“Our goal has always been to get ourselves to the same level as the other top teams in the country. What we’re doing in lacrosse runs parallel to what we’re doing as a university. We feel we have an outstanding product at UMBC and we want people to know that.”
Zimmerman’s entire playing and coaching career has been based on winning. He was the first lacrosse coach to win a national title in his initial season, taking Johns Hopkins (14-0) to the top in 1984. He coached the Blue Jays to another pair of championships in 1985 and 1987 and chalked up 73 wins against only 15 losses in his seven years at Homewood. After leaving JHU after the 1990 season, Zimmerman served as an assistant coach at Loyola College from 1991-93.
Coach Zimmerman prepped at St. Paul’s School, where he was a member of three M.S.A.A. Conference championship teams. A 1976 graduate of Johns Hopkins, Zimmerman played under the late Henry Ciccarone, received Honorable Mention All-America recognition, and was awarded the Turnbull-Reynolds Award for Sportsmanship and Leadership in 1976. In his first season after graduation, Zimmerman was named coach of the Hopkins B squad. After spending a year as assistant coach at Princeton in 1978, he joined Willie Scroggs’ staff at North Carolina. The Tar Heels won a pair of national titles (1981, 1982) in Zimmerman’s four years in Chapel Hill. He then returned to his alma mater the following year, and when Coach Ciccarone retired after the 1983 season, Zimmerman became head coach.
"Coaching lacrosse at UMBC is both challenging and rewarding; having the opportunity to work with quality young men with a unified goal of competing for a national championship and playing lacrosse in Baltimore -the cradle of the sport - is something special."
Zimmerman also served as an assistant coach of the United States team in the 1986 World Games and was a coach for the South squad for the 2002 North-South All Star game. Zimmerman and his wife Dorothy reside in Towson. The Zimmermans have two children, Emily, 26, and Jake, 17.
"I have been fortunate to work with so many quality young men throughout my career. Whether All America, All World or role player, my heart holds a special place for those that have made the sacrifice and commitment demanded of them. My hope is that as these players look back, they remember me as a mentor who treated them with fairness and respect."
The Zimmerman File
12th YEAR AT UMBC 21ST SEASON OVERALLJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, 1976 HONORS 1976, All American, Johns Hopkins 1981, 1982, National Champions, Asst. Coach, North Carolina 1984, 1985, 1987 National Champions, Head Coach Johns Hopkins 10 NCAA Tournament Appearances and 320 All Americans produced as Head Coach ZIMMERMAN YEAR-BY-YEAR 1984* 14-0 JHU 1985* 13-1 JHU 1986 10-2 JHU 1987* 10-3 JHU 1988 9-2 JHU 1989 11-2 JHU 1990 6-5 JHU 1994 7-7 UMBC 1995 4-9 UMBC 1996 3-9 UMBC 1997 9-3 UMBC 1998 9-5 UMBC 1999 11-4 UMBC 2000 7-7 UMBC 2001 5-7 UMBC 2002 5-7 UMBC 2003 7-6 UMBC 2004 6-8 UMBC 2005 7-8 UMBC
2006 10-5 UMBC TOTALS 163-100 AT UMBC 90-84 *NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LANDMARK VICTORIES #1 March 10, 1984 v. UMBC (10-8) #50 March 26, 1988 v. Princeton (9-0) #100 Apr. 4, 1998 v. Georgetown(12-11) #1 at UMBC Mar,6,1994 vs. Michigan St(12-5) #50 at UMBC Apr. 29, 2000 v. Stony Brook (15-3)