Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran is stepping away from the program because of health issues, coach Kirby Smart said Sunday.
Former Florida and South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp, a senior defensive analyst with Georgia, will step in during Cochran’s absence, a source told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
“Coach Cochran is currently dealing with health issues and is taking time to prioritize his mental health and well-being,” Smart said in a prepared statement. “We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.”
It’s unclear how long Cochran, 42, will be away from the team, or what his long-term future with the program will be, a source told ESPN.
Georgia in February 2020 hired Cochran, the head strength and conditioning coach at Alabama under Nick Saban, in a move that was seen as a major win for Smart and the Bulldogs. Cochran had not been in an on-field coaching role until last season at Georgia.
Muschamp, a former safety at Georgia, spent the past five seasons as South Carolina’s head coach. He’s 55-51 as head coach at South Carolina at Florida, and has also served as a defensive assistant at Auburn, Texas and LSU, among other spots.