In tragic news surrounding the USC football program, wide receivers coach Dave Nichol is dead, the Trojans said Friday. Nichol was just 45 years old. Earlier this week, Nichol was ruled out indefinitely due to a private medical manner and Luke Huard took over as interim wide receivers coach.

“This is heartbreaking. USC just announced that inside receivers coach Dave Nichol has died,” College football insider Bruce Feldman wrote on Twitter. “He was 45. Such a great guy. Dave had been battling cancer, according to a source close to the situation. RIP.”

Nichol was the inside receivers coach under Mike Leach over the last few years, coaching at Washington State from 2017-19 and Mississippi State from 2020-21. Nichol was hired on the first Trojans football staff under Lincoln Riley, who joined USC this offseason after leaving Oklahoma.