LIVINGSTON, Ala. — Scott Cochran knows what Alabama football is supposed to look like.
He was the strength and conditioning coach of the Crimson Tide‘s reign at the top of college football, working with coach Nick Saban from 2007-19 before spending three seasons as Georgia’s special teams coordinator.
As Cochran spoke of the future, of what he plans to do with West Alabama football as its head coach, he was asked about the current state of the Crimson Tide, about Kalen DeBoer and what he’s done at Alabama.
Cochran said he honestly doesn’t know much.
“I met coach DeBoer one time because I was going to see former players. … What a great guy,” Cochran said. “Seemed awesome, down to earth. And the players seemed to really like him.”
But Cochran does have firsthand experience of what DeBoer and Alabama did against him.
Late in Cochran’s tenure at Georgia, he was tasked with recruiting wide receiver Ryan Williams, who ended his commitment to the Crimson Tide after Saban’s retirement, but later committed and signed with the DeBoer regime.
“When I talked to him about it, he was like, ‘Man, this guy’s a great recruiter,'” Cochran said. “He had all all these great things to say about him. And I was like, ‘Well, that’s where you need to go,’ because at the time, I was stepping out. So I’ve heard nothing but good things.”
But Cochran admits he has no inside information about the inner workings of the current Alabama staff.
“I have no idea,” Cochran said. “I mean, … everybody has a computer. Now everybody thinks they can put their opinions out there. But I’m sure he’ll take that place back to new heights. I feel like he’ll do a great job.”
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What West Alabama coach Scott Cochran thinks of Alabama football
