MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Allegheny College head football coach Braden Layer is pleased to announce the promotion of Matt Cochran to offensive coordinator in addition to his duties as the Gators' associate head coach.

Cochran enters his second season in his second stint with the Gators in 2024. He previously served as Allegheny's offensive line coach in 2017 and 2018 before returning to lead the offensive line group again last fall. 

A former offensive lineman at Denison University, Cochran's influence on the offensive side of the ball in 2023 was noticeable. Allegheny's passing game improved by more than 400 yards, and the team's completion percentage rose more than six percent. Additionally, the Gators ranked in the top half of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) in time of possession. In the red zone, the Gators scored touchdowns on nearly 69% of their red-zone opportunities, up from 50% in 2022.

Among the offensive highlights in 2023 was the remarkable season by senior wide receiver Declan O'Brien (Irwin, Pa./Norwin), who ranked among Division III leaders in receptions per game (9.1), yards per game (122.8), and receiving yards (1,228). At the end of the season, O'Brien was named to the All-PAC First Team, and senior offensive lineman Jack Turner (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) was included on the All-PAC Second Team, two of Allegheny's five offensive players recognized with postseason honors.

Before returning to Meadville, Cochran spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. After three seasons as the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator, he was elevated to offensive coordinator for the fall of 2022. During his tenure with the Polar Bears, Bowdoin's backfield featured the top rusher in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Andre Eden, who became the first Polar Bear to earn NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors in 2021.

At Denison, Cochran started 39 of 40 possible games on the offensive line. A former team captain, he earned All-NCAC honors as a junior and season, including a first-team selection in 2013. He also won the team's Jack Tamblyn Memorial Award and the Big Red Warrior Club Strength and Conditioning Award. 

Cochran graduated from Denison in 2014 with a degree in economics and received a master's in sport leadership from Wesley College in 2017.