Redshirt junior safety Kenny James will transfer from Southern Illinois, head football coach Nick Hill announced Monday.

Hill said the coaching staff decided it would be in the best interest of both James and the team if he were to find another school.

“We’re going to support Kenny and help him,” he said. “But there’s a certain way you’ve got to act to be on this team, and we’ve got a bunch of guys that are bought in, and we felt it was best if he transferred to another school.”

James, who was second on the team with 107 tackles in 2015, did not play a snap for the Salukis in the spring. He was serving a suspension after an arrest for three counts of aggravated third-degree assault in his hometown of Columbia, Mo.

Hill said he would meet with James on Monday to discuss potential transfer destinations for the No. 4 tackler in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

“He’s not leaving on bad terms or anything,” Hill said. “We just felt like it was best for him to get a fresh start.”

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307