Alabama's defensive coaching staff has seen a bit of reshuffling this offseason. The Crimson Tide is set to part ways with safeties coach Colin Hitschler, which leaves a vacancy on coach Kalen DeBoer's staff.

However, according to Alabama's staff directory, a replacement safeties coach won't fill that vacancy. Instead, the Tide is expected to promote special assistant to the head coach Chuck Morrell, to linebackers coach. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was in charge of the unit last season but is now only listed as defensive coordinator on the staff directory. Morrell worked closely with the linebacker unit alongside Wommack this season.

Morrell followed DeBoer from Washington last season and has worked with the Alabama coach throughout his career. The pair of South Dakota natives started as teammates at Sioux Falls, winning the NAIA Division II national title together in 1996. Morrell later served as DeBoer's defensive coordinator and the pair were on the staff at Sioux Falls together from 2000-09. Morell rejoined DeBoer at Fresno State where he was the safeties coach from 2020-21 before following DeBoer to Washington. Morrell was also the defensive coordinator at South Dakota in 2010 and served as the head coach at Montana Tech from 2011-19.

As for the defensive backs, Co-Defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist is set to oversee the entire unit. Linguist primarily worked with the cornerbacks last season while Hitschler coached the safeties in 2024.