Subscribe
Follow Us
Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer is losing a key assistant from his defensive staff. And this coach will soon join a 9-4 team by running their defense in 2025.
DeBoer and the Crimson Tide are losing Colin Hitschler to James Madison University, per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports Thursday. Hitschler is set to take control of the defensive coordinator duties for the Dukes.
Hitschler's departure comes four days after DeBoer lured back a familiar face to his staff. Ryan Grubb reunited with DeBoer at Alabama by taking the offensive coordinator position on Sunday.
Alabama and DeBoer now have to look for a new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Hitschler held both titles in Tuscaloosa last season for DeBoer's first Tide team.
Under Hitschler, strong safety Malachi Moore hit new career-highs. Moore delivered 70 total tackles, 40 solo stops, plus swatted eight passes — all personal bests for him.
Bray Hubbard also thrived under Hitschler. Hubbard led the Tide with three interceptions from his own safety spot.
Kalen DeBoer loses fast-rising assistant from Alabama staff
DeBoer has a significant void to fill with Hitschler on his way out. The safety play emerged as a highlight for what became a disappointing season for the Tide.
Hitschler came to Tuscaloosa with previous Big Ten experience. He served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Wisconsin before his Alabama arrival. He held the same title under Luke Fickell at the University of Cincinnati, during a time the Bearcats played in the American Athletic Conference.
Hitschler enjoyed his most success at the latter. He coached a Bearcats safety unit that helped deliver Cincinnati's 13-0 regular season of 2021. The Bearcats clinched a spot at the Cotton Bowl for the first time in school history. That Cincinnati unit ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense by allowing just 16.5 points per game. The Bearcats also ranked 10th overall in the nation defensively.
The incoming James Madison DC even has ties to Sunday's Super Bowl representatives. Hitschler served as a player personnel assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 — which was through former head coach Todd Haley. But he got his coaching start with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he began his career as a training camp assistant.
Hitschler now takes over a Dukes group that produced the Sun Belt Conference's top-rated scoring defense at 20.5 points per game. JMU also led the conference in rushing defense. He's replacing Lyle Hemphill, who is off to Texas A&M as a senior assistant.