Jeremy Werner of 247Sports first broke the news that Illinois defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson has resigned. This is a huge change for an Illini defense that was struggling immensely this season under Nickerson’s leadership.
In the article written by Werner, he received a quote from Lovie Smith that read the following.
“Hardy informed me yesterday that he felt it was in the program’s best interest to leave our staff,” Lovie Smith said in a statement. “I’ve known and coached with Hardy for many years, and know what an outstanding person he is. We are all disappointed in the performance of our defense this season, and we all bear responsibility for that.