Scott Cochran might not have been coaching for the past year, but he remained hard at work. The longtime Alabama football strength and conditioning coach has been helping start the non-profit American Addiction Recovery Association.

It’s a personal mission for Cochran. He battled drug addiction during his time at Alabama and Georgia, reaching two years of sobriety before a relapse pushed him out of coaching following the 2023 season.

And now that he’s back in the game, taking the head coach position at West Alabama, the work isn’t done. It’ll start in September, with an on-field fashion statement.

“The month of September is recovery month,” Cochran told reporters Friday in Livingston after he was introduced as the new coach of the Tigers. “Our color is purple. And so, we’re gonna put purple socks, purple mouthpieces, purple stickers on the helmets, hopefully across the country. And I believe that this is gonna line up fine with that.”

In his year away from the game, Cochran traveled the country speaking to teams and other groups about recovery, sharing his story. He opened up his social media accounts, fielding messages from those who needed help, and did his best to point them toward it.

Cochran said he hoped to inspire others to know that recovery is possible.

“That’s kind of where the non-profit started,” Cochran said. “A lot of different things, but for me it was, how do you get to where I am? Because I had some time in recovery before this. I had two years and I had a setback, right? And so now, I feel completely different in my walk with God, and my recovery is just on fire, so I’m trying to spread that word.

“I was on the phone with somebody that was actually in Florence, Alabama last night. Direct messaged me saying their son was struggling. And so I said, ‘Here’s my number, call me.’ Like that, that’s the stuff.”

Cochran takes over a West Alabama team that went 9-2 as a Division II program last year. He fills a role vacated by Brett Gilliland, who moved up to athletics director for the Tigers.

The rest of the school is all-in on letting Cochran share his background of addiction and recovery.

“He’s got a great story,” UWA president Todd Fritch said. “He’s not afraid to share that story, and I’m confident that he’s going to be able to help lead our young men through the challenges they’re going to face, because he’s successfully navigated his own challenges.”