Nikola "Nik" Barjaktarevic was named the first coach for the new women's soccer program at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College on April 2007.

The Scorpion teams he has coached have won the Red River Athletic Conference championship three times in the five-year history of the program. UTB/TSC has won the RRAC in odd-number years -- 2007, 2009 and 2011 -- and advanced into the postseason each time. He was named RRAC Coach of the Year each time. Barjaktarevic's five-year record with the Scorpions is 63-23-6 (.717).

His accomplishments include:

• 2007: UTB/TSC posted a 13-7 record. The Scorpions finished third during the RRAC regular season but won the RRAC Tournament to advance to the NAIA Region VI Tournament, where they were eliminated In the quarterfinals.
• 2008: The Scorpions were 9-5-1 and shared the RRAC regular season championship. UTB/TSC advanced to the semifinals of the RRAC tournament.
• 2009: UTB/TSC was 12-4-2 overall and won the RRAC title with a second seed in the tournament. UTB/TSC was eliminated in a NAIA National Championship Opening Round.
• 2010: The Scorpions were 12-4-2, and finished second in the regular season. They were eliminated in the RRAC Tournament semifinals in overtime. Also in 2010, the team received the NAIA Champions of Character Award, Helen Wagstaff received the UTB/TSC Champions of Character Award, and Nicole Sereda was a recipient of the Academic Excellence Award.
• 2011: UTB/TSC had its best season in history with a 17-3-1 record, winning both the RRAC regular season and conference tournament championships. The team reached the NAIA National Championship Opening Round again.

Numerous Scorpions have received national recognition in the five-year history of the program. Six have been named to the NAIA All-America team, six have received RRAC special honors, 25 have been named to RRAC First Team -All Conference.

Barjaktarevic came to UTB/TSC from Dana College (Neb.), where he was head women's soccer coach for three years. His teams produced 17 All-Conference, two NAIA All-Region, two NAIA All-America and nine NAIA Academic All-America players. His teams received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award each year.

His 2004 Dana team qualified for the NAIA regional tournament. In three seasons at Dana, his coaching record was 16-34-5. Counting his five years at UTB/TSC, Barjaktarevic has compiled an overall coaching record of 79-57-11 (.575).

Previously, Barjaktarevic served as a graduate assistant men's soccer coach at Hastings (Neb.) College. During his time there, the Broncos were 45-4-1, clinched the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title twice, and finished No. 18 and No. 3 in the NAIA overall rankings. While assisting at Hastings College he also served as Hastings High School's head boys' soccer coach for two seasons, leading the Tigers to their first winning season in school history. He continued his involvement with high school soccer in Blair where he was the head boys' soccer coach for Blair High School in 2004.

His interest in the growth and development of soccer is recognized in his work with Nebraska State Soccer Association ODP (Olympic Development Program) where he served as a coach for various teams between 2002 and 2005.

As a part of the soccer community, Barjaktarevic was involved in variety of other soccer camps, clinics and activities such as Bob Warming's Creighton Soccer Academy, John Keating's Fast Footwork Program, Nebraska State Soccer Association & Region II Camps, while at Dana and Blair.

In college, Barjaktarevic was a defensive standout for Union (Tenn.) University. He was named Best Defensive Player and led the NAIA's third-ranked defense in 2000, his first season.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and Health degree from Union University (Tenn.) and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Hastings College. In 2010, Barjaktarevic received his USSF "A" National Coaching License, the highest coaching license in the U.S..

Originally from Belgrade, Serbia (part of the former Yugoslavia), Barjaktarevic was a member of several premier soccer teams before coming to the United States to continue his education.

He and his wife, Natasa, have one daughter, Mia.

His last name is pronounced "Barr-jacque-tah-rre-vich."