Georgia's Scott Cochran stepping away because of health issues

Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran is stepping away from his role because of health issues, according to head coach Kirby Smart. Cochran’s absence was initially reported by The Athletic’s Seth Emerson Sunday afternoon.

Former South Carolina and Florida head coach Will Muschamp, a defensive analyst with the program, will step into an on-field coaching role during the absence, per The Athletic.

More: Georgia coordinator Scott Cochran not with program

“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. “We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.”

The timeline of Cochran’s return and his future with the team remains unclear.

Background

Georgia hired Cochran in February of 2020 after the departure of Scott Fountain. The 42-year-old former Alabama strength and conditioning coach had been searching for an on-field coaching job.

Temporary replacement Will Muschamp is a former Georgia player who spent the past five seasons as the head coach at South Carolina. He was 55-51 as a head coach between his time at South Carolina and Florida. Muschamp is a fellow member of the Nick Saban coaching tree, working as a defensive coordinator at LSU from 2001-04 and as associate head coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2005.

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 finished 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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