Tag: alabama strength coach

Report: Scott Cochran pursued three jobs before leaving Alabama for Georgia

Per a report, Scott Cochran pursued three different jobs before eventually leaving Alabama for the Georgia football program.

Though Scott Cochran’s decision to leave Georgia for Alabama may have came as a surprise to fans and media members, it likely didn’t shock Nick Saban or those close to Cochran.

Per a report from Matt Zenitz and John Talty of AL.com, Cochran had tried for position roles with the New York Giants, with Michigan State and with Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss.

According to the report, Cochran had been hoping for a new coaching position since at least 2018.

How deep Kiffin and Cochran made it into the interview process is unclear, but Ole Miss was able to land Houston assistant Blake Gideon as its new special teams coordinator. Gideon is considered one of the nation’s best.

The report also details how Saban was “riding Cochran mercilessly in front of staff.” What led to Saban getting on Cochran, I’m not sure, but the report noted that the head coach “wanted tweaks made.”

People speculated that the timing of Kirby Smart’s hiring of Saban’s right-hand man stemmed from malicious intent, however, seeing as how Cochran had been searching for a new position, it’s possible that it just played out like this.

As Alabama’s head strength coach, Cochran was paid $595,000 in 2019. At Georgia, Cochran’s 2020 salary will be $550,000, the school confirmed Tuesday.

Scott Cochran makes first tweet since accepting Georgia job

Georgia football assistant Scott Cochran made his first tweet since leaving Alabama and Nick Saban for UGA and Kirby Smart.

Former Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran made headlines when he decided to accept the position of special teams coordinator at Georgia.

That was a week ago, and we have not heard much from Cochran about the career move since — but it’s clear that the on-field coaching opportunity was something that he had been hoping for.

On Monday, Cochran finally made his first tweet…and it has gone over great with Georgia fans.

So far, the hype video has been retweeted over 1,000 times with nearly 5,000 likes.

“New Mission” is what Cochran’s hype video is titled and it outlines his success to date and includes testimonials from former Alabama stars.

Alabama targeting former Georgia strength coach Aaron Feld

The Alabama Crimson Tide are considering hiring Oregon Ducks strength and conditioning coach Aaron Feld, who previously coached at Georgia.

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost an excellent strength and conditioning coach in Scott Cochran, who joined the staff at Georgia this past week. Now, the Crimson Tide are considering hiring Oregon Ducks strength and conditioning coach Aaron Feld. Before Feld coached at Oregon, he was under Kirby Smart in Athens.

Feld coached at UGA from 2015 to 2017 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. Feld helped Kirby Smart develop players like Roquan Smith, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel during his time in Athens.

He left Georgia following the National Championship defeat to become the strength and conditioning coach at Oregon under Mario Christobal. The Ducks have had success with Feld as well. Oregon defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl this season and is returning a good bit of talent in 2020.

Feld would be a logical choice at Alabama based on his previous success. The Crimson Tide will miss Scott Cochran, who is now joining Kirby Smart once again at Georgia, but Strength and Conditioning coaches can only do so much for the team.

Feld reportedly met with Nick Saban at Alabama this week and has removed Oregon from his Twitter bio. That being said, nothing is set in stone. Fans should bet on either Feld heading to Alabama or staying at Oregon after getting a raise.

Will Feld stay or go?
Dec 31, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld in the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
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Tua Tagovailoa on impact of Scott Cochran leaving for Georgia: ‘It’s going to be hard’

Former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa discussed how important new Georgia football assistant Scott Cochran was to Nick Saban and the Tide program

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On Monday, Georgia hired Nick Saban’s longtime head strength coach Scott Cochran to come serve as the special teams coordinator in Athens.

On Monday night, we highlighted some tweets from former Alabama players who understand just how important Cochran was to Saban and the Crimson Tide program.

But maybe one of the most important players in Alabama history, Tua Tagovailoa, was one of the first to stand behind a podium and speak publicly on Cochran’s departure and what it means for Alabama going forward.

While at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Tagovailoa went into more detail about Cochran.

“He was a special guy. He doesn’t get as much credit as people give him,” Tagovailoa said. “He’s been the backbone for the organization at Alabama.

“It’s going to be hard. Alabama is definitely going to miss him.”

Kirby Smart and Cochran remained close since their days of coaching together in Tuscaloosa, and you may remember Smart actually tried to bring Cochran with him to Athens when he was given the head coaching position at Georgia.

Having been at Bama since 2007, Cochran has seen hundreds of Tide players come and go, but based off of the testimonies of multiple different former players, Cochran impacted the lives of every student-athlete to come through those doors.

“Off the field, he’s someone who develops relationships with guys,” Tagovailoa said. “Brings guy over and cooks meals for guys who aren’t able to go home for Christmas.”

Former Alabama players tweet thoughts on Scott Cochran leaving for Georgia football

former Alabama players tweeted their thoughts on Scott Cochran leaving Bama for a job with Georgia football.

On Monday, Georgia football was able to make one of the biggest offseason splashes when it hired Nick Saban’s longtime strength coach Scott Cochran away from Alabama.

At Georgia, Cochran will serve as Kirby Smart’s special teams coordinator. The two coaches remained close ever since their days of working together in Tuscaloosa and you may remember Smart unsuccessfully trying to bring Cochran with him to Athens when he was first hired at UGA.

Alabama fans understand just how big of a blow this is to Saban’s program. Cochran has been in Tuscaloosa since 2007 and was considered Saban’s right-hand man, having been on staff for all six of his national titles, including in 2003 at LSU.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit on Georgia hiring Scott Cochran: ‘Significant loss for Bama’

Related: Alabama fans have Twitter meltdown with news of Scott Cochran to Georgia

Related: Report: Scott Cochran not allowed to address Alabama players prior to leaving for Georgia

But it’s just not Bama fans who are in panic mode. There have been multiple former players take to Twitter to express just how much Cochran means to the Tide program, including Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.

Having been there since 2007, Cochran helped coach and physically develop hundreds of Alabama players, who all understand Cochran’s value to the program.

There’s a reason why this is as big of news as it is. I mean, how often does a strength coach leaving make as big of headlines as it did on Monday?

Click on to the next page to see a few more tweets from former players.

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Report: Scott Cochran not allowed to address Alabama players prior to leaving for Georgia

On Monday, Georgia football officially announced the hiring of Scott Cochran, Nick Saban’s longtime head strength coach. Cochran, who has remained close with Kirby Smart since their time together in Tuscaloosa, has left Bama to become Smart’s new …

On Monday, Georgia football officially announced the hiring of Scott Cochran, Nick Saban’s longtime head strength coach.

Cochran, who has remained close with Kirby Smart since their time together in Tuscaloosa, has left Bama to become Smart’s new special teams coordinator in Athens.

Alabama fans did not react well to the news on Twitter, going into meltdown mode, while Georgia fans erupted with excitement. 

The salt levels in Bama are high right now, and that apparently goes beyond just the fans, as Kyle Henderson of Rivals is reporting that Saban may be a bit salty about Cochran’s departure as well.

Per Henderson’s report, Saban held a team meeting at 3 p.m. Central time today, but Cochran, who the meeting revolved around, was not present.

However, it was not by choice.

Seeing as how Cochran has been at Alabama since 2007, you’d think he’d receive a bit more love on his way out than he’s been show so far.

Coaches come and go, that’s how college football works. For Saban not to allow his right hand man to say goodbye to the team just shows me that he is really not happy with this move.

Which in turn only makes Georgia fans even happier with the hire.

Kirk Herbstreit on Georgia hiring Scott Cochran: ‘Significant loss for Bama’

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit offered a strong reaction to Georgia football hiring away longtime Nick Saban assistant Scott Cochran from Alabama.

Georgia football made the biggest assistant coach hiring of the offseason on Monday when it announced that Scott Cochran, Nick Saban’s longtime head strength coach, is leaving to become Kirby Smart’s new special teams coordinator in Athens.

Georgia fans erupted in excitement while Alabama fans quickly went into meltdown mode on Twitter.

According to these tweets from ESPN’s college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, both fanbases had every right to react the way that they did.

Herbstreit called this a “significant loss” for Alabama, adding that “assistants can come and go but not Cochran. This is a blow.”

Herbstreit ponders whether or not the departure of Cochran will be “the first real cracks in the Saban era.”

Here is more from our coverage on Cochran to Georgia:

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Georgia football officially announces hiring of Scott Cochran from Alabama

Georgia football officially announced the hiring of longtime Bama strength coach Scott Cochran.

On Monday, reports began to swirl that Kirby Smart and Georgia were expected to hire Nick Saban’s longtime head strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran away from Alabama.

After a few hours of both Georgia and Alabama fanbases holding their breaths, the Georgia Twitter account officially confirmed all reports with a tweet, announcing the hiring of Cochran as UGA’s new special teams coordinator.

You’ve likely seen videos of the high energy Cochran leading an Alabama strength drill in the weight room or getting his players energized on the sideline both during and before games.

Cochran and Smart have remained close since their time coaching together in Tuscaloosa, and Smart tried to bring Cochran with him to Athens when he was hired as head coach.

Cochran also worked with the New Orleans Hornets from 2004-06, where he assisted with the exercise and strength conditioning programs to help players achieve and maintain optimal fitness throughout the NBA season. With the Hornets, he worked with NBA standouts Chris Paul, Baron Davis, David West and Tyson Chandler.

Alabama fans have Twitter meltdown with news of Scott Cochran to Georgia

Alabama football fans had a meltdown on Twitter after news broke that Scott Cochran was likely joining the Georgia Bulldogs staff.

On Monday, it was reported by Cecil Hurt of Tuscaloosa News that Kirby Smart is expected to hire Alabama’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Scott Cochran to an on-field coaching position at Georgia.

Chris Low of ESPN shortly followed up that report with one of his own, noting that Cochran would be Georgia’s new Special Teams Coordinator.

Cochran, who has served as Alabama’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach since 2007, is one of the most important assistant coaches in all of college football. He has been a member on each of Nick Saban’s six national title staffs, including 2003 at LSU.

When Smart left Alabama to takeover at Georgia in 2016, Cochran was a coworker that he tried to bring with him but was unsuccessful in doing so. Alabama fans praised Cochran for his loyalty to the program at the time, showing just how important he was to the Tide’s success.

Now, with the report out that he is leaving for Athens, Alabama fans took to Twitter to express their frustration over the change.

https://twitter.com/CrimsonClio/status/1232042211392528386?s=20

 

Twitter reacts: Georgia football adds Alabama’s Scott Cochran to staff

Scott Cochran is reported to join the Dawgs’ staff after turning down a 2015 offer to join colleague Kirby Smart in Athens.

Following the departure of strength and conditioning coaches Jamil Walker and Ed Ellis, the Georgia Bulldogs have reloaded the weight room staff in just about the most unbelievable fashion imaginable.

Scott Cochran, legendary head strength coach at the University of Alabama for upward of a decade, is reported to join the Dawgs’ staff after turning down a 2015 offer to join colleague Kirby Smart in Athens.

Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News was the first to report this story.

Known for his energy and audible-from-the-nosebleeds pregame hype speeches, Cochran once quipped, prior to 2008’s infamous contest at Georgia, “they’re wearing black because they’re going to their own [expletive deleted] funeral.”

Cochran and Smart previously worked together at LSU under Nick Saban before reuniting at Alabama in 2007.

It is worth noting that, following 2019’s coaching turnover, the Bulldogs have one on-field coaching slot remaining. If Cochran is named to a position outside the weight room, it is likely that he would be placed somewhere within Kirby Smart’s elite defensive staff.

Shortly after the news broke, Georgia fans on Twitter exploded with joy.

Here’s a look at Twitter reactions: