West Alabama hires longtime SEC assistant Scott Cochran as coach

West Alabama hired Scott Cochran, a longtime SEC staff member who served as Alabama's strength coach under Nick Saban and later spoke out about his addiction to painkillers, as its new coach.

Cochran, 45, brings extensive SEC experience to the Division II program. A New Orleans native and an LSU alum, he oversaw strength and conditioning under Saban at LSU, and later rejoined Saban at Alabama from 2007 to 2019. Cochran helped develop players for six national title teams -- four at Alabama and two at LSU. He then transitioned to an on-field coaching role at Georgia from 2020 to 2023, serving as the Bulldogs' special teams coordinator for national title teams in 2021 and 2022.

"His dynamic coaching style, combined with his dedication to fostering both athletic and academic excellence, aligns perfectly with our values," West Alabama president Todd Fritch said in a statement. "We are confident that he will build on our program's strong foundation and lead our student-athletes to success on and off the field."

Last year, Cochran began speaking out about his years of addiction to painkillers, which began in 2012 when he began experiencing severe migraine headaches. He took Vicodin and Oxycontin and said he became addicted, taking 10 pills per day in 2015. Cochran told ESPN he overdosed in 2020 and went to rehab facilities several times while at Georgia before leaving the program following the 2023 season. In June, he helped launch the American Addiction Recovery Association.

"Why not stand up and say, 'Hey, let's come together,'" Cochran told ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Marty Smith in 2024. "Let's talk about addiction for what it is, and not, 'Because you're an addict, we don't want you around.' The opposite of addiction is connection. If we can get people out of that shame and guilt cycle, there's going to be a lot more recovery, and that's going to save lives."

Cochran addressed his addiction and recovery in Monday's announcement, saying in a statement, "My own personal struggles have given me a unique perspective that allows me to expertly develop players and prepare them to go to the next level. I get to know players better than they know themselves, and I feel that I have something to give back through head coaching. This is more than just a job for me; it's a calling to help young men grow both on and off the field."

Cochran replaces Brett Gilliland, who went 9-2 in his final season as West Alabama's coach before becoming athletic director at the school.