USC hires Washington's Jennifer Cohen as athletic director
Incoming freshmen at the University of Southern California won't be the only new faces around campus this fall semester, as the school's athletic department announced the hiring of Jennifer Cohen as their new athletic director.
"There was one clear candidate who stood out," USC President Carol Folt said of Cohen during a press conference on Monday. "She's passionate, accomplished and equally regarded as a fierce competitor."
Cohen, who spent the last seven years in the same position with the University of Washington, is the first female athletic director in USC's storied history. She replaces Mike Bohn, who resigned in May after 3 1/2 years, citing "ongoing health challenges."
There also was an athletic department review and complaints about Bohn's management style and behavior.
Cohen was at Washington for 24 years and was named athletic director in 2016. She is an Arcadia native and graduate of San Diego State University
She becomes the 10th athletic director in USC history and the second straight who wasn't a former Trojans football player.
"This is extra special and meaningful for me to come back to my original roots and lead a storied athletic program," Cohen said. "It's a special place and time. There is so much momentum to build on. We have to put our foot on the gas and continue so we can elevate."
Cohen recently oversaw Washington's planned move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten in 2024, following suit with USC, who announced similar plans to move in late-2022.
Cohen is also a member of the College Football Playoff committee and takes over an athletic program that has had a recent run of success in its marquee sports.
"The thing I love about college athletics is that you cannot succeed without everybody working together," Cohen said while speaking with KCAL. "An athletic department is not about one person, it's about a lot of people. And it's about a lot of little things, not just the big things. I want to build a culture where everybody around our department knows that they're contributing to something bigger than themselves."
USC football is currently ranked sixth in The Associated Press preseason poll in its second season under Lincoln Riley, who leads a talented team that includes reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
The Men's basketball team has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Andy Enfield, featuring the nation's top incoming freshman class, which includes Isaiah Collier and Bronny James — son of Lakers' star LeBron James.
Women's basketball made the NCAA Tournament in its second season under Lindsay Gottlieb, who recruited the nation's top recruit in Juju Watkins for the upcoming season. Beach volleyball has won three straight national championships.
USC President Carol Folt issued a statement on the hire following the press conference.
"Jen has more than three decades of experience in athletics and has built a reputation as a seasoned, engaged, and steadfast leader who takes a student-centered approach in building and running a winning athletics program," Folt's message to the USC community said. "She is regarded as a fierce competitor who wants to win in every sport, the right way. These are also the qualities our coaches, student-athletes, staff, and faculty told me they wanted to see in our next director of athletics.
Over the past four years, we have made major investments in our athletics enterprise that have fueled a successful transformation of the program; Jen couldn't be joining us at a better time. USC is at the forefront of this transformational period in intercollegiate athletics."
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