Kirby Smart Releases Statement Regarding Scott Cochran

A statement from Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart on Special Teams Coach Scott Cochran has been released.

“Coach Cochran is currently dealing with health issues and is taking time to prioritize his mental health and well-being. We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.” 

There has been no mention of his future status regarding his job in Athens other than the statement above. Cochran was named to the Dawgs staff by Kirby Smart in February of 2020 as Georgia announced him as the special team's coordinator, replacing Scott Fountain who joined former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman at Arkansas.

Before joining the staff in Athens with his longtime coaching friend Kirby Smart, Cochran spent 13 seasons with the Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the strength and conditioning coach under the legendary head coach Nick Saban.

Cochran spent almost a decade at Alabama working with then defensive coordinator Kirby Smart before Smart would leave the Tide for the head coaching job in Athens following the 2015 season. It was believed that Smart targeted Cochran to join his original staff in Athens, but Cochran stuck with the Tide before departing years later for the Dawgs.

Cochran oversaw the rise of Georgia punter Jake Camarda, who became the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2020. The Georgia special teams unit showed tremendous promise in year one under Cochran.