Muschamp to fill in for UGA special teams
Former Southeastern Conference head coach Will Muschamp is going to pick up recruiting duties for Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran, who left the team to deal with health issues.
Head coach Kirby Smart announced last week that Cochran had stepped down, at least temporarily.
“(Cochran) is taking time to prioritize his mental health and well-being,” Smart said. “We fully support him as he takes this time to focus on his well-being.”
Tight ends coach Todd Hartley is expected to fill in for Cochran on the field while Muschamp assumes the recruiting piece, the Atlanta JournalConstitution reported.
Smart brought in Muschamp in January as a defensive analyst after the latter was fired as South Carolina’s head coach in November. It’s an off-field role for Muschamp, who played with Smart briefly at Georgia in the 1990s. The two are longtime friends.
Muschamp, 50, was in his fifth season with the Gamecocks and finished with a 28-30 record. He coached at Florida from 2011-14 and finished 28-21 before being dismissed. He owns a 56-51 overall record as a head coach.
Muschamp has also been a defensive coordinator at Auburn, Texas and LSU. He has never been a special teams coordinator.
Cochran joined Smart’s staff in February 2020. He reportedly missed the first two practices of preseason camp.
Georgia, expected to be ranked in the preseason top 10, opens its season Sept. 4 against Clemson in Charlotte, N.C.