Georgia Bulldogs Assistant Scott Cochran "Taking Time to Prioritize His Mental Health"
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ATHENS - One Georgia Bulldogs assistant coach has left Kirby Smart’s program just as the season is set to start.
Scott Cochran, who moved to Smart’s program a season ago to become an on-field coach is not with the Bulldogs right now, Kirby Smart said Sunday.
“Coach Cochran is currently dealing with health issues and is taking time to prioritize his mental health and well-being,” Smart said in a statement released by UGA. “We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.”
That means the Bulldogs are without a special teams coach less than a month before the season-opening showdown with Clemson.
READ MORE: What Are Insiders Saying About Scott Cochran’s Departure
In his first year as an on-field coach, Cochran was part of a staff that led Georgia to its fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the final CFP rankings and fourth straight New Year’s Six Bowl game (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory). The 2020 senior class won 44 games—tied for most in school history. In 2020, his specialists included punter Jake Camarda, first-team All-American and SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, and placekicker Jack Podlesny, who kicked the game-winning field goal with three seconds left to win the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl game over Cincinnati. Georgia special teams finished the season ranked first in the SEC and 5th nationally in kickoff returns (29.7 ypr) and first in the SEC in kickoff coverage (41.8 net).
Smart and Cochran both began their careers at Alabama in 2007 and spent nine years together before Smart left to take his current position in Athens. While at Alabama, Cochran implemented an offseason workout plan before spring practice each year, which included the well-known “Fourth Quarter Program” to help players develop physically and prepare for upcoming practices.
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