Scott Cochran, who had been Alabama’s head strength and conditioning coach under Nick Saban since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, is leaving to take a job at Georgia coaching special teams.
Saban confirmed the move Monday.
“Scott did a really good job for us here and was a big part of our success, but he was looking for a new career path,” Saban told ESPN. “He wanted to get on to the field coaching and would like one day, I think, to be a head coach. We didn’t really have anything here to offer him along those lines, and Georgia did. I understand him wanting to take on that path.”
When Lane Kiffin was named the Ole Miss head coach, Kiffin also expressed interest in hiring Cochran as on-the-field coach.
Cochran and Georgia coach Kirby Smart shared a close relationship when Smart was the defensive coordinator at Alabama and have remained close over the years.
Cochran was the fifth-highest paid strength and conditioning coach in the FBS, earning $595,000 annually with potential bonuses of $130,900. Smart tried to hire Cochran as his strength and conditioning coach when he was hired to coach the Bulldogs in 2016. Cochran replaces Scott Fountain, who left to join Sam Pittman’s staff at Arkansas.
Cochran had been on Saban’s staff for all six national championships, as he served as an assistant at LSU in 2003.
Cochran and head athletic trainer Jeff Allen were the only two football staff members still remaining that came with Saban to Alabama in 2007.
Saban noted that Alabama’s new sports science center is scheduled to open this fall.
“We’re in a good position to bring in somebody at the top of their profession, and I think we’ll have a lot of people interested,” Saban told ESPN. “I’m excited to see who all is out there.”
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.