Tide Assistant Leaving To Become Mississippi State's Defensive Coordinator

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Alabama football special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler has been announced as the next defensive coordinator at Mississippi State University under new head coach Jeff Lebby.

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Ross Dellenger was the first to break the news on Wednesday.

Hutzler first joined the Crimson Tide coaching staff in January 2022 after as season at Ole Miss as special teams coordinator under Lane Kiffin. He can also boast coaching stops at, among numerous institutions, Boston College, Florida, New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas.

Hutzler is the second coach with connections to Alabama to be hired for Lebby's staff, with Tuscaloosa Patch reporting on Monday that former Crimson Tide running back Shaud Williams had been hired by Mississippi State as its new head strength and conditioning coach.

During his time at Alabama, Hutzler helped develop defensive standouts like Will Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell.

While at South Carolina as its special teams coordinator, Hutzler was credited with mentoring eventual NFL standout Deebo Samuel, who went on to post a school-record fourth career kickoff return for a touchdown, tying the SEC mark.

In terms of accolades, Hutzler was nominated in 2017 for the Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top assistant coach.

Hutzler first began his coaching career at the University of San Diego, where he worked as a defensive assistant in 2006 before making the move to Palo Alto to become a recruiting assistant at Stanford in 2007.

He then served as an assistant on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinal in 2008 and 2009.\

Hutzler is a native of Las Vegas and played college football at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he earned a degree in psychology.

According to his online biographical information, Hutzler and his wife, Cobey, have a son, Micah, and a daughter, Leila.

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