Whenever Alabama’s name is mentioned, one figure looms largest—Nick Saban, the architect of six national championships for the Crimson Tide. Filling his shoes is a near-impossible task, as Kalen DeBoer is learning. But a dynasty isn’t built by a head coach alone. And one of Saban’s former key lieutenants proved that. This ex-assistant spent 13 years shaping players, contributing to five national titles. Crazy, right? Yet, even the sharpest minds can succumb to darkness, and addiction became a devastating detour on his heck of a career path.

Now, in a recent candid conversation on The Triple Option podcast, former Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran revealed his personal battle. Back in 2012, while helping Nick Saban lead the Crimson Tide to consecutive national championships, Cochran suffered severe migraine headaches. Known as “Coach Yeah” for his intense, vocal coaching style, these headaches plagued him, particularly near his temples.

And that’s where the trouble began. As Scott Cochran recalls, “I started getting migraines really bad, like 2009, 2010. And, you know, I went to the docs, and the docs were like, ‘Hey, you know, why don’t you stop yelling?'” He then humorously recounts his response, “That’s what he knew me for. Yeah, I was like, ‘How about this, doc? Why don’t you stop breathing? How about that? That’s what you’re asking me to do.'” Then treatment commenced, as Cochran describes, “And so he put me on, you know, a few different medications, and nothing really worked. And then he wrote me a script for Oxy. And, you know, he told me, right? He said, ‘You know, this is addictive. You gotta be careful.'”

The New Orleans native oversaw strength and conditioning under Saban at LSU and later rejoined him at Alabama from 2007 to 2019. However, a pivotal moment arrived in 2012 when battling severe migraines. Despite trying blood thinners and beta-blockers, the pain persisted. This led to an addiction to Vicodin and OxyContin, escalating to taking 10 pills a day by 2015, unknowingly setting him on a destructive path.

He explains, “But sure enough, by 2015, it got completely out of control, and it was running my life. You know, I was snorting pills. I wasn’t even taking them anymore. I was snorting them. And it was a daily grind. Every single day. I mean, for 10 full years, it was every day.” Even a move to Georgia in 2020, where he transitioned to special teams coordinator, couldn’t break the cycle. Cochran reached his breaking point when, “In 2020, I overdosed. April 10th, 2020. I overdosed. My wife found me—dead. It was during COVID. And she found me on the ground, called 911,” he recounts.

2021 saw Cochran step down from his coaching role at Georgia to address his health. Though he returned as an analyst later that year, a relapse in late 2023, involving concealed painkillers, led to another intervention. Before Georgia’s Orange Bowl appearance, his wife noticed his struggle, and he entered rehab in February 2024.

Reflecting on his departure from Georgia, Scott Cochran says, “So I’m 14 months now. And, you know, there was a point where I had to step away from the game to get my life together. So at the end of the season at Georgia, we played Florida State. And I told Kirby, I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve had a setback. I need to get my life together. I’m going to step away for a little while.'” And that’s when he started his redemption journey.

Scott Cochran’s second-innings

On February 3, 2025, Scott Cochran assumed the head coach role at West Alabama, a significant milestone in his recovery. His path has been arduous, but he is now committed to coaching and combating addiction. He travels, sharing his story with teams like Georgia Tech, Florida, and Clemson, offering candid accounts of his struggles, ego-driven relapses, and the resilience required for recovery.

In June 2024, he co-founded the American Addiction Recovery Association (AARA), aimed at dismantling the stigma surrounding addiction and providing recovery opportunities. He finds solace in this mission, stating, “It’s the American Addiction Recovery Association. You can find us at eliminatethewisper.org and just see the cool stuff that we’re doing. You know, the biggest thing that I think is, we’re trying to eliminate stigma.”

He further explains, “Because this disease is surrounded by stigma. You know, when I went to rehab the second time and people knew about it and it was public, nobody brought my wife a casserole. Right? Like, not that they shunned her, but it was like, ‘Oh, you got that problem? I don’t want anything to do with y’all.'” Despite these challenges, Cochran’s determination has driven him forward.

Cochran’s mission extends beyond coaching, as he engages with college fraternities, corporate events, and provides one-on-one interventions. He readily shares his personal number, offering judgment-free support. His actions are aimed at pulling people from shame spirals and encouraging them to seek help.

With over eight months of sobriety, Cochran faces the battle daily, but the migraines that once derailed him have subsided. He is now thriving, using his story to uplift others and steer them away from similar dark paths.