Georgia coordinator Scott Cochran not with program, per The Athletic

Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran is currently not with the program, according to The Athletic’s Seth Emerson. Details about Cochran’s future with the program remain unknown. Former South Carolina and Florida head coach Will Muschamp is expected to step into an on-field coaching role in his absence.

Sources tell @SethWEmerson
that Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran is not currently with the program.

Details on Cochran's future status are unknown.

More via @TheAthletic: https://t.co/Gbucn0gtmT

— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) August 8, 2021

Background

Cochran was one of the most discussed hires in college football when he left Alabama to join Kirby Smart’s Georgia staff in February of last year. He spent 13 seasons at Alabama with coach Nick Saban as the strength and conditioning coach before accepting the coordinator position at Georgia. The surprise move brought attention to a frayed relationship which led to a new chapter.

On3’s Matt Zenitz reported after the move that Cochran had been considering an Alabama departure since “at least 2018” and was willing to take a pay cut to leave the program. Cochran wanted to make the transition from strength and conditioning coach to an on-field coaching role.

Zenitz’s 2020 report also referenced sources close to Cochran, who believed “outside forces” kept him from becoming the Ole Miss special teams coordinator under Lane Kiffin earlier that year. Other reports suggested that Kiffin simply decided to go another direction.

2021 outlook

Phil Steele projects a top 10 special teams unit in 2021 after the group finished No. 7 in his 2020 rankings. The team returns senior punter Jake Camarda, a 2020 finalist for the Ray Guy award and preseason All-American. He finished fourth in the country with a 46.6-yard average last season. Junior kicker Jack Podlesny also returns after going 13-for-16 in his first season as the starter.

The Bulldogs also bring back return specialist Kearis Jackson, who helped Georgia finishe first in the SEC in kick return average. Jackson had a career-long 56-yard return against Florida in 2020. Georgia also finished No. 1 in the SEC in kickoff coverage, allowing 16.8 yards per return, and total blocks with three.

Georgia opens as the No. 4 team in ESPN’s preseason power rankings and is the early favorite to win the SEC East. The Bulldogs open the season on Sept. 4 against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina. ESPN’s FPI ratings project that game to be Georgia’s toughest of the season, giving the Bulldogs just a 28.7% change of winning.

Kirby Smart is looking to lead Georgia back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2016, when Alabama defeated them in overtime of the national championship game.

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