Aside from the iron-willed excellence of Nick Saban, Scott Cochran was among the notorious components of Alabama's dynastic run with Saban atop the Crimson Tide program.
Now, as Cochran continues to shape his own system at NCAA Division II West Alabama, he's wisely infusing as much of that Alabama pedigree as possible into the Tigers program.
Cochran has added Reggie Ragland to the West Alabama football staff as its new director of player personnel.
Ragland is a former national championship-winning Alabama defensive lineman who logged a half-dozen years in the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
A Huntsville, Alabama, native, Ragland won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers.
His addition to Cochran's inaugural UWA staff brings the count to six former Tide mainstays now as part of the Tigers. He joins former quarterback Blake Sims and star tight end O.J. Howard, as well as ex-running back Bo Scarbrough and Damion Square.
The Cochran era at West Alabama is scheduled to begin Aug. 30 when the Tigers play Fort Valley State at Birmingham's Legion Field.