USC Football Assistant Dave Nichol Dies at Age 45

USC assistant football coach Dave Nichol died Friday in McKinney, Texas. He was 45.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley announced that Nichol would be away from the team while dealing with a medical issue. According to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, the newly hired inside wide receiver coach and associate head coach had been diagnosed with cancer.

Riley said in a statement.

"We are heartbroken and devastated. 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 the inside receivers coach at Mississippi State before he was hired by USC. He spent time with Washington State, East Carolina, Arizona, Texas Tech and Baylor.

Riley said earlier this month that he would be the interim inside wide receiver coach. It is not clear if the program will look for someone to fill the role in a more permanent position.