[1] In 1978, he moved to the United States where he played for the Tulsa Roughnecks in the North American Soccer League.
In 1979, he moved back to the United States, this time permanently when he signed with the Philadelphia Fury.
In addition to playing for the Fury, Nikolic also spent the 1979–1980 Major Indoor Soccer League season with the St. Louis Steamers.
In September 1988, he became the head coach of the Hershey Impact of the American Indoor Soccer Association.
On May 25, 1990, Nikolic replaced John Ellinger as the head coach of the Washington Diplomats of the American Professional Soccer League.