Miami Hurricanes find expected replacement for linebackers coach Charlie Strong

After an offseason of unexpected coaching departures, the University of Miami coaching staff is filling up quickly.

Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal is expected to hire newly hired Cincinnati inside linebackers coach Derek Nicholson as his new linebackers coach to replace Charlie Strong, the Miami Herald confirmed through a source Tuesday afternoon.

Nicholson, 36, served as inside linebackers coach for Louisville the past three seasons, and before that from 2018-19 was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Southern Miss. He also coached the defensive line at Southern Miss in 2016-17. He began his career in 2013 as an Akron graduate assistant linebackers coach before moving to Louisville in 2014 as a graduate assistant coaching outside linebackers and defensive ends. In 2015 he coached the defensive line at Alcorn State.

In 2022, Nicholson coached senior linebacker Momo Sanogo to All-ACC honors. Sanogo had 89 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 2022. Louisville led the nation with 50 sacks and ranked third in takeaways (30), eighth in tackles for loss (97) and 11th in scoring defense (19.2 points allowed per game).

Nicholson was a two-year starter at middle linebacker for Florida State, leading the Seminoles in tackles during his junior and senior seasons. In 2008 he was a candidate for the Butkus Award and Bednarik Award and finished his career with 207 tackles, 25 1/2 tackles for loss, three sacks and two defensive touchdowns. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2009 before a career-ending knee injury.

Nicholson’s wife, Onnie, is a former FSU soccer player and former USA National Team member.

Strong, who also served as UM’s co-defensive coordinator, was the fourth UM assistant to leave the program after this past season. The others: offensive coordinator/receivers coach Josh Gattis, who was fired; quarterback coach Frank Ponce, who returned to Appalachian State as offensive coordinator; and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who returned to Alabama as its new defensive coordinator.