Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran morphed into a cult figure sometime in the last five years, becoming one of the most recognizable men holding that title in all of sports.

The image of him screaming and going ballistic on the sideline, sometimes out of anger and sometimes unadulterated passion, has become iconic. He was an original member of Nick Saban’s staff at the University of Alabama and also worked as a graduate assistant for Saban at LSU.

But even so, the intense outcry from Tide fans when it appeared that Kirby Smart would try to bring Cochran with him to Georgia was telling.

Alabama eventually decided to fork out a load of money — his $420,000 salary will increase even more — to keep Cochran on the sideline and in the weight room in Tuscaloosa.

In a recent interview with AL.com, Cochran explained why he decided to stay loyal to Saban and the Tide (other than money, of course).

“To take my position that 90 percent of the country knows nothing about but Alabama fans and Coach Saban have created this brand for me that’s just a lot of fun,” Cochran told AL.com. “To be wanted is really, you know, I wasn’t a recruit coming out. That was cool.

According to the report, fans approached the staff member in droves once news of his potential departure went public. His “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” catchphrase and sideline energy have become part of the fabric within the program.

Cochran would not get into specifics as to what he talked about with Saban, Smart and others that led him to remain in Tuscaloosa. But he did mention gratitude that Saban plucked him from an assistant job in the NBA to make him Alabama’s strength coach.

“You know who the man is,” Cochran told AL.com. “Yes, it will be different (without Smart). But you know who it is. He’s Coach Saban. He would win without me. He’d win with me. I know that. I’m a piece in the puzzle and my piece is not that big.”