One of the most recognizable faces to fans during Nick Saban’s first 13 seasons in Tuscaloosa was strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran.
The potential behind-the-scenes impact Cochran’s departure to Georgia two years ago was a topic of discussion at the time, but after Saban replaced Cochran with two new hires in Dr. Matt Rhea and David Ballou, the Tide won another national championship in 2020.
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The department was in flux again this offseason after Rhea, who served in a newly-created role of director of sports science the past two seasons, left earlier this month for the same position with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
Alabama retained Ballou, the director of sports performance, after the Saints also reportedly pursued him. Rhea’s replacement is Paul Constantine, who is now listed as the director of applied science after serving last season as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
“It’s been really smooth,” Saban said Wednesday of the transition. “Dr. Rhea did a great job for us, but the people we have in place know the system. They worked it for several years. Dave Ballou is the guy that implements the whole thing, so that hasn’t changed.
“So I don’t think anybody would really notice a difference. I don’t think we skipped a beat because the people we have are good people and we like to develop from within. Those people have developed very nicely.”
Both Rhea and Ballou came from Indiana and previously IMG Academy. Saban credited them with bringing a more scientific approach that used technology to analyze workloads and reduce soft tissue injuries.
Constantine worked with Rhea and Ballou at Indiana before also joining Alabama in 2020.
The change was one of several recently in the Tide’s strength and conditioning department. Men’s basketball strength coach Mike Snowden left that program last month to take a job closer to home, while assistant football strength coach Matt Clapp followed Rhea for a similar position with the Saints.
Alabama moved assistant strength and conditioning coach Jason Poeth, who worked with the cross country and track and field teams last season, to football and hired Rick Danison, another former Indiana staffer, as assistant football strength and conditioning coach.
Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.
