One of the University of Georgia's most high-profile assistant coaches is not presently with the team.
Scott Cochran, the former long-time strength and conditioning coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama, rising to acclaim with the Crimson Tide, is not with Kirby Smart's Bulldogs' program as Georgia opens preseason camp in preparation for the 2021 season.
“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 the University of Georgia. “We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.”
Smart is elevating an old friend and veteran Southeastern Conference former head coach into the void left in Cochran's absence.
Will Muschamp is set to take over special teams' oversight for the Bulldogs, per sources and multiple reports; however, Robby Discher, a new addition to the Georgia staff this offseason after time as Billy Napier's special teams coordinator at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also on staff to assist with teams.
Discher widely is held as a particularly adept special teams coach with a bright future, particularly after spending time with the well-regarded Billy Napier and now transitioning between the hedges.
Muschamp's stepping into a full-time, on-field capacity during Cochran's unspecified absence after previously joining Smart's staff in the offseason as an analyst. Muschamp's been a head coach at a pair of SEC schools – Florida and South Carolina – plus has defensive coordinator experience at multiple other Power 5 programs.