The 2025 season marked Nik Clinton’s third year on staff at VMI and his second as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator under head coach James Purpura.
In 2025, the Keydets posted their best season in nearly four decades with a program-record 10 Division I wins. Offensively, VMI ranked second nationally in goals per game and third in shooting percentage, breaking the school record for goals in a season. Senior Luke Rusterucci earned First Team All-NEC honors, ranked third nationally in points per game, and was selected for the USILA Senior All-Star Game.
In 2024, Clinton helped lead the Keydets to seven Division I wins—tying the 1995 mark and representing the program’s highest total in 19 years. VMI finished 28th nationally in scoring offense. Junior Luke Rusterucci ranked 15th nationally in points per game and led the MAAC. Clinton also oversaw the development of the faceoff unit, with Jack Rogers posting a 53.9 percent win rate. Rusterucci earned First Team All-MAAC honors, Ty Yonas made the MAAC All-Rookie Team, and AJ Stamos was selected to the USILA Senior All-Star Game.
In his first year at VMI (2023), Clinton coached the faceoff unit and assisted with the offense. The team recorded its most goals in 26 years and improved its faceoff percentage by nearly 10 percent.
Freshman Jack Rogers earned MAAC All-Rookie honors, and the team had its most wins in 15 years.
Before VMI, Clinton spent two seasons as an assistant at St. Bonaventure, helping the Bonnies to a MAAC regular season title and a program-record 11-win season in 2022. He coached faceoffs and wing play, managed substitutions, and assisted with an offense that led the MAAC in goals per game. Under his guidance, freshman Trent Grainger ranked second nationally among freshmen in faceoff percentage.
Clinton was a two-year captain at St. Bonaventure during the program’s relaunch, earning the Unsung Hero Award (2019) and Brian Moretti Award (2020). He began his college career at Adams State, where he was a two-year starter at attack and midfield.
A native of Loveland, Colorado, Clinton earned a bachelor's degree in sport studies with a minor in business administration from St. Bonaventure in 2020.
