Chuck Morrell - Football Coach

Chuck Morrell

Title:
Linebackers
Phone:
205-963-5700

Personal Information

Hometown: Bon Homme, S.D.
Education: Sioux Falls, 1997
Spouse: Jen
Children: Selene, Aleia
Birthday: December 29

Coaching Experience

2024-present: Alabama, LB
2022-23: Washington, Co-DC/S
2020-21: Fresno State, S
2011-19: Montana Tech, HC
2010: South Dakota, DC/DB
1999-2009: Sioux Falls, AHC/DC/DB
1998: Sioux Falls, DB

Chuck Morrell continued his long association with Kalen DeBoer when he joined the Alabama staff as a special assistant to the head coach in March of 2024. He was then moved to linebackers coach in year one and has worked with the Crimson Tide's inside backers since the start of the 2024 campaign.

A South Dakota native himself, Morrell was a teammate of DeBoer's at Sioux Falls, where they both helped the Cougars to the 1996 NAIA Division II national title. The former head coach at Montana Tech and defensive coordinator under DeBoer at USF, Morrell also coached on DeBoer's Fresno State staff as the safeties coach from 2020-22.

Alabama - Linebackers (2024-Present)

The inside linebackers were essential to the Crimson Tide's success in 2025
Alabama's trio of Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green each played in all 15 games and finished as three of the top four tacklers on the defense
A permanent team captain, Lawson paced the Tide with 89 stops as part of his 283 career tackles that rank 10th in UA history
Lawson earned All-SEC honors and was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award
Jefferson ranked second on the defense with 85 stops while Hill-Green tallied 60 tackles to finish fourth in ‘25
Morrell guided one of the top linebacker duos in the country in 2024 as Jihaad Campbell and Lawson both earned all-conference recognition and were named semifinalists for the Butkus
Campbell led Alabama and ranked fifth in the SEC for total tackles with 117 on the way to All-America accolades
Included in Campbell's 117 stops were a team-high 11.5 for loss to go with five sacks
Voted a permanent team captain the first time, Lawson finished second on the team in tackles with 76 despite missing the season's final 10 quarters due to injury
Jefferson also contributed in the middle, finishing fourth on UA in tackles with 60 across his 12 games of action

Washington - Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties (2022-23)

Served as the co-defensive coordinator and the safeties coach at Washington from 2022-23
Helped direct a defensive unit that led the Huskies to a 25-3 overall record, a Pac-12 championship, two bowl victories (Alamo and Sugar) and an appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship Game

Fresno State - Safeties (2020-21)

Spent two seasons at Fresno State from 2020-22 where he coached the Bulldogs' safeties
Morrell's safeties group contributed to a defense that made vast statistical improvements in nearly every team category over the 2019 season, the year before his arrival
The Bulldogs went from 82nd in the nation for scoring defense and 88th in total defense in 2019 to No. 20 and No. 31, respectively, in 2021
Additionally, the run defense improved from 71st to 24th while the pass defense leaped from 107th to 58th during that '21 season
Fresno also improved its national ranking by 45 places or better in yards allowed per play, opponent first downs, sacks, tackles for loss, third-down percentage defense and fourth-down percentage defense
The '21 group ranked among the top-25 nationally in scoring defense, tackles for loss, takeaways, fumble recoveries, third-down conversion defense and fourth-down conversion defense
FSU allowed 20.5 points and 347.1 yards per game that season, finishing with a 10-3 record and a victory in the New Mexico Bowl

Montana Tech - Head Coach (2011-19)

Took over as head coach at Montana Tech prior to the 2011 season and guided the Orediggers through the 2019 campaign
In nine seasons at Tech, Morrell compiled a 52-44 overall record, was named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year in 2012, 2015 and 2016, and was also the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year each of those seasons
Morrell produced 70 all-conference selections at Tech, along with three conference players of the year and six All-Americans
Montana Tech consistently led the conference in academic all-conference selections and NAIA scholar-athletes during his nine seasons

South Dakota - Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs (2010)

Worked as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of South Dakota in 2010

Sioux Falls - Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs (1999-2009) | DBs (1998)

Began his coaching career at his alma mater, Sioux Falls, as defensive backs coach in 1998 and then spent the next 11 years as defensive coordinator from 1998-2009, a span that included all five of DeBoer's seasons as head coach
During his time at USF, the Cougars played in five NAIA national championship games, winning three titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009
Morrell helped produce 44 all-conference honorees and 11 All-Americans on defense at Sioux Falls
From 2006-09, the Cougars were the most dominant program in the NAIA with a record of 56-1
The 2008-09 teams won 29 straight games and outscored opponents by an average of 44.3-8.3
Under Morrell's direction, the 2009 defense allowed just 10.5 points and 210.5 yards per game en route to a 15-0 record and a second straight NAIA championship
The year prior produced a defense that was one of the most dominant in NAIA history as the Cougars allowed just 5.9 points, 14.7 rushing yards and 94.7 passing yards per game while going 14-0
USF opponents managed just a 17 percent third-down conversion rate and only 105 first downs across the 2008 season

Playing Career

Graduated from Sioux Falls in 1997
A three-year starter at safety for USF from 1995-97
Elected a team captain in 1997 and garnered All-SDIC accolades along with honorable mention NAIA All-America recognition
Finished as the Cougars' leading tackler on the 1996 NAIA Division II national championship team
Inducted into the Cougar Hall of Fame in 2016
Began his collegiate career as a linebacker at the University of South Dakota from 1993-94