Tag: colin hitschler

Alabama football expected to hire Wisconsin’s safeties coach Colin Hitschler

Alabama football hires Wisconsin’s safety and co-defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler

For recently hired Alabama head football coach [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag], the hardest part in replacing the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] has been putting a staff back together. Yes losing commitments and players to the portal is a harsh reality, but the coaching staff is the foundation of your program.

Despite all of the challenges he has faced, DeBoer has filled out an outstanding coaching staff that all Alabama fans have to be thrilled with. The staff will include two FBS coaches, one Big Ten coordinator, one Pac-12 coordinator and the position coach for the 2023 Joe Moore award-winning offensive line. There are a lot of really bright young minds in the room, but also guys who are hungry to get after it on the recruiting trail.

Thursday evening, DeBoer made another addition to the staff as he stole Wisconsin’s safeties coach and Co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Colin Hitschler[/autotag]. He only spent one season in Madison, but it is a massive blow to the Badgers staff as he is widely respected and was probably going to be their next DC. Hitschler was a massive piece in the Badgers recruiting success this past season and was a key piece of Cincinnati’s coaching staff in the 2021 College Football Playoffs.

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Report: Alabama to hire one of Wisconsin’s defensive assistants

Report: Alabama to hire one of Wisconsin’s defensive assistants

Alabama and new head coach Kalen DeBoer are expected to hire Wisconsin safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, according to a report from ESPN’ Pete Thamel.

Hitschler moved to Wisconsin from Cincinnati with Luke Fickell in 2022. He had coached under Fickell for five years at Cincinnati, one year as co-defensive coordinator and three as safeties coach. He was a driving force behind the Bearcats’ No. 1-ranked pass defense in 2021.

The veteran assistant joins an Alabama program which is in the midst of a seismic shift after the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban. Hitschler will coach under its new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, a respected defensive mind and the former head coach at South Alabama.

Wisconsin assistant up to No. 13 in 247Sports’ recruiter rankings

Wisconsin’s safeties coach has made a big impact on the recruiting trail

Wisconsin football’s 2024 recruiting train has been on a roll the last few weeks. The class is up to No. 19 in the nation thanks to four four-star commitments since the beginning of July.

The latest came from four-star running back Dilin Jones, a top-200 player in the class and one of the top running backs in the country. Jones’ primary recruiter was safeties coach Colin Hitschler, a new assistant under Luke Fickell who has had a tremendous influence on this class.

247Sports credits Hitschler with seven of Wisconsin’s 20 commitments in the class. Those players are Jones (Maryland), four-star offensive tackle Kevin Haywood (Pennsylvania), four-star cornerback Omillio Agard (Pennsylvania), three-star safety Raphael Dunn (New Jersey), three-star interior offensive lineman Ryan Cory (Pennsylvania), three-star safety Kahmir Prescott (Pennsylvania) and three-star running back Gideon Ituka (Maryland).

That effort is enough for the Wisconsin assistant to rank No. 13 in 247Sports’ recruiter rankings. The top 10 is tough to crack: Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, USC and Florida assistants occupy many of the top spots. But this is Hitschler’s first cycle with Wisconsin, so a finish this high is a tremendous sign.

The story of Hitschler’s recruiting cycle is domination in the East. He has landed two players from Maryland, four from Pennsylvania and one from New York. Wisconsin is obviously a program built on the state and its neighboring areas. But there is a hot talent bed along the Northeast Corridor. Consistantly landing top players from that area could elevate Wisconsin further.