Background
Nickerson, Hardy Otto was born on September 1, 1965 in Compton, California, United States.
Nickerson, Hardy Otto was born on September 1, 1965 in Compton, California, United States.
He attended Verbum Dei High School, a Catholic school located in Watts, California.
He earned a Bachelor degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1989. Nickerson spent the prime of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The hiring of head coaches Sam Wyche and Tony Dungy allowed Nickerson to play in the middle in both coaches" 4-3 defensive alignment (Nickerson played the 3-4 in Pittsburgh), sending Nickerson to five Pro Bowls and joining the NFL"s 1990s All-Decade Team.
In 2006, Nickerson became the color analyst for the Buccaneer Radio Network, teaming him with the longtime veteran play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff.
On February 23, 2007, he was named linebackers coach of the Chicago Bears, where he coached for his former Tampa Bay position coach, Lovie Smith. On January 8, 2008, he resigned from the Bears due to health issues within his family.
On April 15, 2010, Nickerson was hired as the head football coach at Bishop O"Dowd High School in Oakland, California, a traditional powerhouse that has produced many future NFL players: (Tarik Glenn, Langston Walker, Kirk Morrison, and Eric Bjornson). During Nickerson"s tenure, he led the Dragons to back to back League Titles and was also responsible for producing nearly twenty scholarship athletes in a period of three years.
Nickerson stepped down from the head coaching position on November 18, 2013.
Nickerson was named the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Lovie Smith on January 7, 2014. On January 23rd, 2016, Nickerson was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as linebackers coach under new head coach Chip Kelly
On March 10th, 2016, Nickerson was hired by the University of Illinois as Defensive Coordinator under new head coach Lovie Smith. NFL head coaches under whom Hardy Nickerson has served:
Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007) and (2014-Present).
Married Amy Nickerson. Children: Ashleigh, Hardy, Haleigh.