TicketsColin Hitschler enters his first season as the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati and his fifth season overall with the program. He will also coach safeties for the third straight season in 2022. He joined Cincinnati as a quality control coach in 2018.
As UC’s safeties coach, he led development of 2020 All-AAC First Team selection James Wiggins and 2021 All-AAC First Team selection Bryan Cook, who was picked to play in the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Cook was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 62 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Wiggins was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 243rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Darrick Forrest was selected by the Washington Commanders with the 163rd pick in the same draft.
In 2021, the Bearcats’ defense was outstanding, ranking fifth nationally in scoring defense (16.5) and No. 10 in total defense (318.4). The Bearcats also allowed only 4.5 yards per play to opponents, which was the fourth-fewest in the nation.
Cincinnati had the nation’s best pass defense, finishing No. 1 in the country in pass efficiency defense (103.37), No. 2 in passing yards allowed (169.2), No. 3 in interceptions (19) and No. 4 in opponent completion % (54.0).
Cook finished eighth in the AAC with 93 tackles and ninth with 11 passes defended. The other safety starter Ja’von Hicks recorded 56 tackles and two interceptions.
In 2020, the BlackCats defense ranked in the Top 21 nationally in passing and rushing defense and Top 12 in total, scoring, and team passing efficiency defense.
Hitschler moved into his current role after serving the 2019 season as UC’s senior defensive analyst. He came to Clifton Heights in 2018 as a defensive quality control coach.
Prior to his role as safeties coach, he had been part of a UC staff which helped lead the Bearcats to back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2019 American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
The Bearcats finished atop the 2019 AAC ranks in scoring defense for the second-straight season and ranked among the league's top three in rushing and total defense.
The 2018 BlackCats Defense led the American in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense and ranked among the Top-15 in the NCAA FBS in all three categories.
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.
USA safety Jeremy Reaves was recognized as the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league honoree. The 2017 defense surrendered 22 points or fewer in regulation seven times in eight conference games. The Jaguars finished in the Top 5 in the Sun Belt Conference in pass defense, pass efficiency defense, tackles for loss and third-down conversion percentage against. USA was one of two programs with multiple first-team all-conference honorees.
Prior to joining the Jaguars 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 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.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: March 13, 1986
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wife: Rebecca
Children: Catherine
Education: Pennsylvania (2010, B.S.)
Year in Coaching: 13th
COACHING CAREER
YEAR: SCHOOL - POSITION
2009: Philadelphia Eagles – Training Camp Assistant
2010: Kansas City Chiefs – Player Personnel Assistant
2011: Salve Regina (R.I.) – Co-Special Teams Coordinator/DL
2012: Widener (Pa.) – Special Teams Coordinator/DBs
2013: Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2014: South Alabama – Graduate Assistant
2015: South Alabama – Director of FB Operations
2016: South Alabama – Director of FB Operations
2017: South Alabama – Safeties
2018: Cincinnati – Quality Control – Defense
2019: Cincinnati – Senior Defensive Analyst
2020: Cincinnati – Safeties
2021: Cincinnati – Safeties
2022: Cincinnati – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL - BOWL
2013: Arkansas State – GoDaddy.com
2014: South Alabama – Camellia
2016: South Alabama – Arizona
2018: Cincinnati – Military
2019: Cincinnati – Birmingham
2020: Cincinnati – Peach
2021: Cincinnati – Cotton (CFP Semifinal)
He was named 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 Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in the process.As UC’s safeties coach, he led development of 2020 All-AAC First Team selection James Wiggins and 2021 All-AAC First Team selection Bryan Cook, who was picked to play in the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Cook was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 62 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Wiggins was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 243rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Darrick Forrest was selected by the Washington Commanders with the 163rd pick in the same draft.
In 2021, the Bearcats’ defense was outstanding, ranking fifth nationally in scoring defense (16.5) and No. 10 in total defense (318.4). The Bearcats also allowed only 4.5 yards per play to opponents, which was the fourth-fewest in the nation.
Cincinnati had the nation’s best pass defense, finishing No. 1 in the country in pass efficiency defense (103.37), No. 2 in passing yards allowed (169.2), No. 3 in interceptions (19) and No. 4 in opponent completion % (54.0).
Cook finished eighth in the AAC with 93 tackles and ninth with 11 passes defended. The other safety starter Ja’von Hicks recorded 56 tackles and two interceptions.
In 2020, the BlackCats defense ranked in the Top 21 nationally in passing and rushing defense and Top 12 in total, scoring, and team passing efficiency defense.
Hitschler moved into his current role after serving the 2019 season as UC’s senior defensive analyst. He came to Clifton Heights in 2018 as a defensive quality control coach.
Prior to his role as safeties coach, he had been part of a UC staff which helped lead the Bearcats to back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2019 American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
The Bearcats finished atop the 2019 AAC ranks in scoring defense for the second-straight season and ranked among the league's top three in rushing and total defense.
The 2018 BlackCats Defense led the American in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense and ranked among the Top-15 in the NCAA FBS in all three categories.
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.
USA safety Jeremy Reaves was recognized as the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league honoree. The 2017 defense surrendered 22 points or fewer in regulation seven times in eight conference games. The Jaguars finished in the Top 5 in the Sun Belt Conference in pass defense, pass efficiency defense, tackles for loss and third-down conversion percentage against. USA was one of two programs with multiple first-team all-conference honorees.
Prior to joining the Jaguars 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 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.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: March 13, 1986
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wife: Rebecca
Children: Catherine
Education: Pennsylvania (2010, B.S.)
Year in Coaching: 13th
COACHING CAREER
YEAR: SCHOOL - POSITION
2009: Philadelphia Eagles – Training Camp Assistant
2010: Kansas City Chiefs – Player Personnel Assistant
2011: Salve Regina (R.I.) – Co-Special Teams Coordinator/DL
2012: Widener (Pa.) – Special Teams Coordinator/DBs
2013: Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2014: South Alabama – Graduate Assistant
2015: South Alabama – Director of FB Operations
2016: South Alabama – Director of FB Operations
2017: South Alabama – Safeties
2018: Cincinnati – Quality Control – Defense
2019: Cincinnati – Senior Defensive Analyst
2020: Cincinnati – Safeties
2021: Cincinnati – Safeties
2022: Cincinnati – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL - BOWL
2013: Arkansas State – GoDaddy.com
2014: South Alabama – Camellia
2016: South Alabama – Arizona
2018: Cincinnati – Military
2019: Cincinnati – Birmingham
2020: Cincinnati – Peach
2021: Cincinnati – Cotton (CFP Semifinal)