Alabama football staffer gets promotion to LBs coach

Alabama football appears to have filled the vacancy on its coaching staff, after Colin Hitschler’s departure. Chuck Morrell, who had worked as a special assistant to the head coach in 2024 for the Crimson Tide, is listed on UA’s staff webpage as a linebackers coach.

Meanwhile, Kane Wommack has dropped a title. The Tide’s defensive coordinator is no longer listed as the team’s inside linebackers coach.

Morrell had already taken a hands-on role at the position, after the NCAA dropped its restrictions for on-field coaches.

“He is an absolute pro,” Wommack said of Morrell in August. “A brilliant defensive mind. Does a tremendous job with those linebackers. He spends a great bit of the time with those guys. And to me, it has been great — for me, he’s been with Kalen for the last four years, so knowing what to expect, how we do things from a schedule standpoint — he’s really kind of been my right hand when it comes to those things.

“Very glad that he’s on the field. Very glad for that rule change, because that’s allowed us to do some things where he’s able to work with the linebackers hands-on, and allows me to kind of be able to address some of the needs on a macro level with our defense.”

Morrell has worked for DeBoer in various roles throughout his career. Like Alabama’s head coach, Morrell played football at Sioux Falls, where he worked as a defensive coordinator under DeBoer, later joining staffs at Fresno State and Washington before coming to Alabama.

Hitschler will not return for a second season at Alabama, after coaching safeties in 2024. He held a co-defensive coordinator title, and his departure leaves DBs coach Maurice Linguist with the only co-DC spot listed on staff.

Alabama finished the 2024 season 9-4 with a ReliaQuest Bowl loss.