ATHENS — The curious case of Scott Cochran’s Georgia career has come to a close.

Coach Kirby Smart on Wednesday confirmed that Cochran and Darrell Dickey, another support staffer, left the program. UGASports.com was the first to report Wednesday that Cochran’s office at the Butts-Mehre football complex had been emptied and vacated.

“I want to thank Scott and Darrell for their contributions to Georgia football,” Smart said in a statement released by the UGA sports communications office. “We wish them all the best moving forward.”

Kirk Benedict, who has been a special-teams analysts the past two years, was promoted into Cochran’s post.

Technically, Cochran was not a member of the on-field coaching staff, though he carried the title of special-teams coordinator. He has made at least $550,000 a year since joining Georgia’s staff in 2020 after a long and decorated career as Alabama’s strength-and-conditioning coordinator.

Not long after arriving to be an on-field assistant for the Bulldogs, Cochran took a medical leave of absence. When he returned, he no longer coached on the field but often went on the road to recruit.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart leaves the football field after Georgia beat Tennessee during overtime in an NCAA football game at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Georgia won 44-41 over Tennessee in overtime.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT