Wheaton, Ill. – Wheaton College (Ill.) football coach Mike Swider has announced the hiring of CJ Nightingale as defensive coordinator for the Thunder football team. Nightingale replaces J.J. Clark who departed Wheaton in December for a new coaching role at Indiana Wesleyan University.

A Wheaton alumnus, Nightingale returns to his alma mater after two seasons on the coaching staff at Indiana Wesleyan University. He served as the Wildcats' linebackers coach in 2018, their inaugural season of football. He began his career in collegiate coaching in 2016 with a one-year stint as secondary coach at Greenville University.

Nightingale (PICTURED LEFT) is a 2014 graduate of Wheaton, earning a bachelor's degree in History/Social Science and Secondary Education. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Thunder at defensive back from 2010-2013. He was a member of the 2010 Thunder squad that earned a NCAA Playoff appearance and the Wheaton squad that won a CCIW co-Championship in 2012. Nightingale played in every game in his junior and senior seasons with the Thunder, tallying 52 career total tackles with three interceptions.

Coach Swider says of the addition of Nightingale to the staff, "There were two things that really stood out to me in hiring CJ. First, the fact that he is a 'Wheaton guy' is important. You cannot replace the experience someone had with four years of playing football here. Four years as a player teaches so much, whether it is in recruiting, understanding the Wheaton culture or working with everyone on staff." Swider adds, "The second thing that impresses me about CJ is his level of intelligence and his football IQ. He was a smart kid when he was here and his football IQ is huge. Additionally, he is a football guy who wants to be good and pays attention to detail. He will do an outstanding job and is a great fit as our defensive coordinator."