Alabama officially announces Co-Defensive Coordinators

Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer announced the hiring of Maurice Linguist and Colin Hitschler to serve as co-defensive coordinators and secondary coaches on Monday.

“We are excited to have Maurice and Colin join our staff at Alabama,” DeBoer said. “Maurice brings both head coaching experience and an established record of success coaching defensive backs. Colin boasts a wealth of knowledge and experience, has a reputation for developing the skill sets of the players he coaches and is an excellent tactician. They are both proven recruiters and outstanding teachers.”

Linguist spent the last three years as the head coach at the University of Buffalo while Hitschler joins the Crimson Tide after serving as the co-defensive coordinator and coaching safeties at Wisconsin in 2023.

Linguist led Buffalo to 7-6 record in 2022 that included a 5-3 record in Mid-American Conference play. The year was capped with a 23-21 victory over Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl, just the third bowl win in program history.

“I have always had an incredible admiration for Alabama’s long history of success,” Linguist said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help Coach DeBoer continue that winning tradition, while developing our players both on and off the field.”

Linguist spent the 2020 season as cornerbacks coach with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. He directed a secondary that forced 10 interceptions while allowing the fifth-fewest passing first downs in the league (180).

Linguist has worked with college secondaries at nine programs. Prior to heading to the NFL, he coached cornerbacks at Texas A&M (2018-19), defensive backs at Minnesota (2017), safeties at Mississippi State (2016) and defensive backs at Iowa State (2014-15). His first full-time job was at Valdosta State (2008) before coaching safeties at James Madison (2009-11) and defensive backs at Buffalo (2012-13).

Linguist began at Baylor, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors on the field for the Bears. A native of Dallas, Texas, Linguist graduated from Baylor with degrees in communications (2006) and a master’s in health, human performance and recreation (2007). Linguist and his wife, Stacie, have one daughter, Maura, and two sons, Lance and Leon.

In Hitschler’s one season with the Badgers, safety Hunter Wohler led the team in tackles with 120 to go along with two interceptions and six pass deflections. Wisconsin finished the year ranked 20^th nationally in scoring defense (20.2 ppg) and 34^th in pass efficiency defense.

“I have worked in this state, and I understand the importance of Alabama football and its winning tradition,” Hitschler said. “I am excited to have the chance to continue to uphold the Alabama standard while helping the young men in this program to become the best versions of themselves.”

He joined Cincinnati as a quality control coach in 2018 and took over as the safeties coach in 2020. Hitschler was named Football Scoop’s Defensive Backs Coach of the Year in 2020 and one of the “rising-star assistants you need to know” by On3 for 2022.

Led by the nation’s best pass defense, Cincinnati secured its first-ever 13-0 record in 2021, winning a second-straight American Athletic Conference Championship and advancing to the College Football Playoff.

Hitschler came to UC after four seasons at the University of South Alabama. He coached the safeties in 2017, served as the director of football operations from 2015-16 and was a defensive graduate assistant in 2014.

Prior to joining the Jaguars staff, he was a graduate assistant at Arkansas State in 2013. In 2012, he was the defensive backs coach, special teams and recruiting coordinator at Widener University, helping the Pride go 11-1.

A native of Philadelphia, Hitschler wrestled at Pennsylvania for four years before earning his degree in communications and commerce in 2010. He and his wife Rebecca were married in the summer of 2016, and the couple has two daughters, Catherine and Isabel.

While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.