Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer dismissed safeties coach Colin Hitschler on Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The move is a significant one. Hitschler spent one season with the Crimson Tide. The program finished 9-4 after a bowl loss to Michigan. It was Alabama’s first non-double-digit-win season since 2007, which was Nick Saban’s first year in charge. DeBoer is making significant staff changes after that disappointing campaign.
This news matters to Wisconsin because Hitschler was one of Luke Fickell’s top assistants and leading recruiters before leaving the Badgers for the Crimson Tide after the 2023 season. The veteran assistant coached under Fickell at Cincinnati as a quality control coach (2018), senior defensive assistant (2019), safeties coach (2020-21) and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach (2022). He followed Fickell to Wisconsin, where he held the same co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach title (2023).
Hitschler was a big loss when he left for the Crimson Tide. He was the leading recruiter for Badgers’ top class of 2024 signees offensive tackle Kevin Heywood, running back Dilin Jones, defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr. and cornerback Omilio Agard, in addition to coaching a strong safety group.
Sources: Alabama co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler has been informed he will not return to the Crimson Tide next year. He has a year remaining on his initial two-year contract.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 3, 2025
Wisconsin hired Alex Grinch to replace Hitschler for the 2024 season. Grinch has since left to be the defensive coordinator under Scott Frost at UCF. The Badgers promoted assistant defensive backs coach Jack Cooper to fill its safeties coach vacancy last week.
Despite the position being filled, a reunion with Hitschler shouldn’t be out of the equation. The veteran assistant has spent the majority of his career coaching under Fickell. That connection could lead to a support position with a chance to quickly reclaim a primary on-field coaching role.
Fickell is still working to install his program at Wisconsin and recreate the success he experienced at Cincinnati. Proven assistants and accomplished recruiters such as Hitschler should be key pieces of that puzzle.
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