After firing Colin Hitschler following one season on the Alabama football coaching staff, Kalen DeBoer has added a new defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator Kane Wommack's team.

Jason Jones, a Tuscaloosa native, former Alabama defensive back and cornerbacks coach at North Carolina, was added to the Crimson Tide's staff as an assistant defensive backs coach, Yea Alabama, the University of Alabama Name, Image and Likeness collective, announced Friday.

“Tuscaloosa is a special place to me," Jones told Yea Alabama. "My family is here, a lot of friends are here. The University of Alabama is special to me. That’s why I got started in coaching, you know? And so this is where I played, and got a chance to get started and introduced to coaching here. And now you got a chance to come back … it’s great.”

Jones started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide under Mike Shula in 2003-04. before taking the cornerbacks coach job at Tulsa in 2005. He won an SEC championship as a player for the Crimson Tide in 1999.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to add Coach Jones to our staff,” DeBoer said in a statement. “He has a proven track record of success with defensive backs, and I know he will be able to make a significant impact on that group along with our defense as a whole. It is also great to be able to add a guy who played and coached here, and his knowledge of this University is invaluable.”

Jones also had stops at Rice, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, FAU and Indiana before working on Mack Brown's staff for two seasons in Chapel Hill. Jones was a co-defensive coordinator for his six seasons with the Rebels from 2013-18, working under head coaches Huge Freeze and Matt Luke and with Dave Wommack, Kane's father.

At North Carolina in 2024, the Tar Heels allowed 226.3 passing yards per game, with defensive backs recording nine interceptions and 37 pass deflections. Cornerback Alijah Huzzie was named honorable mention All-ACC.

Alabama promoted former Washington co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell to linebackers coach after working as an assistant and special assistant to the head coach for the Crimson Tide in 2024.

Kane Wommack's title for Alabama heading into 2025 is only defensive coordinator.

The rest of the titles remain the same for Alabama's defensive coaching staff: Freddie Roach as associate head coach and defensive line coach, Maurice Linguist as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach and Christian Robinson as outside linebackers coach.

Alabama opens its 2025 season Aug. 30 against Florida State.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jason Jones, former Alabama football defensive back, joins Tide coaching staff