In March of 2016 — shortly after Illinois AD Josh Whitman shockingly hired Lovie Smith — the college football world was intrigued. How would Lovie’s NFL system, predicated on the famous “Tampa 2” defense, translate to a program in need of a rebuild? To implement his system, Lovie brought in Hardy Nickerson — a former NFL Linebacker with vast experience in the “Tampa 2” — to be his Defensive Coordinator. Nickerson’s hire clearly signaled the direction Lovie wanted to take this program.
In terms of his coaching acumen, Nickerson had coached in the NFL with Lovie, but had no experience in college.