After serving two seasons as the University of South Alabama’s director of football operations, Colin Hitschler is in his first year coaching Jaguar safeties.
Hitschler returns to a coaching the role in the program after serving as a defensive graduate assistant for the Jaguars during the 2014 season, working with a unit that ranked among the Sun Belt Conference leaders allowing less than 400 yards per contest while finishing second in both takeaways and red zone defense. USA ended the season with its first-ever bowl appearance, facing Bowling Green at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
In addition to assisting with Jag nickelbacks, Hitschler aided in USA’s recruiting efforts and was responsible for monitoring academic performance as well.
Prior to joining the Jaguar staff, he was a graduate assistant at Arkansas State during the 2013 campaign. Working with the Red Wolves’ defensive line, Hitschler assisted with position meetings, breaking down film, recruiting and compliance as ASU finished 8-5 after a victory over Ball State at the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
In 2012, he was the defensive backs coach, special teams and recruiting coordinator at Widener (Pa.), helping the Pride go 11-1, win the Middle Atlantic Conference championship and advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs. As the defensive line coach and co-special teams coordinator the previous year at Salve Regina (R.I.), he was part of a Seahawk staff that led the program to the East Coast Athletic Conference title and a 9-2 finish after winning the New England Bowl.
Hitschler has National Football League experience as well, serving as a player personnel assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 — they would win the AFC West Division with a 10-6 mark that fall — and as a training camp assistant the year before with the Philadelphia Eagles.
A native of Philadelphia, Hitschler lettered in wrestling at Pennsylvania before earning his degree in communications and commerce in 2009. He and his wife Rebecca were married in the summer of 2016, and the couple have one daughter, Catherine.
The Hitschler File
Born: March 13, 1986, in Philadelphia, Pa.
Education: Pennsylvania ’09, bachelor’s degree in communications and commerce
Collegiate Playing Experience: Four years, wrestling, Pennsylvania
Coaching/Administrative Experience:
Philadelphia Eagles — traning camp assistant, 2009
Kansas City Chiefs — player personnel assistant, 2010
Salve Regina [R.I.] — assistant coach, 2011
Widener [Pa.] — assistant coach, 2012
Arkansas State — graduate assistant, 2013
South Alabama — graduate assistant, 2014
South Alabama — director of operations, 2015-16
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2017-
Family: Wife, Rebecca; One daughter, Catherine (born May 16)
