USC football assistant coach, Dave Nichol, passes away at 45

Dave Nichol, who joined USC's football team in December along with head coach Lincoln Riley, has passed away at 45, the university announced Friday.  

Nichol, a native of Dallas, died in McKinney, Texas, after a long battle with cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

"We are heartbroken and devastated," Riley said in a university press release.  "Dave was such a tremendous human being and a fantastic football coach.  He absolutely loved the game and constantly poured his heart and soul into his teams.  He will be dearly missed.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  We, as a program, look forward to playing and coaching for him as we move forward."   

Nichol was hired to be the Trojans' inside wide receivers coach and associate head coach for offense. He spent the previous two seasons with Mississippi State.

The university announced Monday that Nichol was going to step way from the team due to medical reasons. He is survived by his father, and brothers Robert and Jimmy.

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