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 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 future NFL players such as Tarik Glenn, Langston Walker, Kirk Morrison, and Eric Bjornson.
[5] On March 10, 2016, Nickerson was hired by the University of Illinois as defensive coordinator under new head coach Lovie Smith.
On April 7, 2022, Nickerson returned as the head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School.
[8] His son Hardy Nickerson Jr. is a former linebacker who played in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings.