Report: USC hiring UW’s Jennifer Cohen as athletic director
Cohen has been athletic director in Washington since 2016.
LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Cohen was hired as the athletic director of Southern California after seven years in the same position at the University of Washington, The Associated Press reported citing a second source.
The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the hiring has not been announced. USC has scheduled a press conference for Monday afternoon.
ESPN was the first to report on the move.
Cohen will become the first female athletic director in USC’s long history. She replaces Mike Bohn, who stepped down in May after three and a half years, citing “ongoing health challenges.”
There was also a review by the sports department and complaints about Bohn’s management style and behavior.
Cohen has been in Washington for 24 years and was appointed athletic director in 2016. She is a native of Southern California and a graduate of San Diego State. Cohen will also be the second USC AD in a row who is not a former Troy footballer and has no administrative experience.
Cohen recently oversaw Washington’s move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten, effective in 2024. USC started the Pac-12 domino last June when, along with UCLA, announced that it would join the Big Ten.
Cohen is also a member of the College Football Playoff committee and takes over an athletic program that has enjoyed recent success in its prestigious sports.
Football was ranked sixth in the Associated Press pre-season poll for its second season under Lincoln Riley, and men’s basketball has entered the NCAA Tournament three times in a row under Andy Enfield. face of the nation’s top freshmen, including Isaiah Collier and Bronny James.
Women’s basketball entered the NCAA Tournament in its second season under Lindsay Gottlieb, and beach volleyball won three consecutive national championships.
