In a now-deleted post on Snapchat, Alabama freshman safety Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., the son of former Alabama star corner Dre Kirkpatrick, seemed to celebrate the termination of safeties coach Colin Hitschler, who was let go by Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide on Friday.
No love lost apparently pic.twitter.com/zK1xnoiVIT
— Cruz Oxenreider (@TheRealCruzOx) January 3, 2025
Unfortunately for Kirkpatrick Jr., internet posts live forever no matter how quickly you delete them. Undoubtedly there will be some internal discipline levied against the freshman safety for his outward celebration of his position coach getting let go, but the post brings some clarity to those Alabama fans who might have been confused by the move.
Hitschler joined Alabama after spending a year at Wisconsin where he followed Luke Fickell from Cincinnati. Hitschler was a well-respected coach and recruiter, but for whatever reason things did not work out in Tuscaloosa.
Message board rumors suggested that Hitschler wasn't well-liked by the players on the team. Kirkpatrick Jr.'s Snapchat post seems to confirm that rumor as being true.
It's no surprise that there might have been some internal turmoil for the Crimson Tide this season considering the disappointing 9-4 record the team finished the 2024 season with. It was the worst season for Alabama football since 2007. DeBoer could not sit back and hope things got better; he's entering a pressure cooker of a 2025 season and needs to have the right pieces in place on his coaching staff.
Cornerbacks coach Maurice Linguist is now expected to coach the entire secondary while defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will drop his inside linebackers coach title and instead focus his time on the entire defense. Longtime DeBoer assistant Chuck Morrell is being promoted to an on-field role as the team's inside linebackers coach.