USC President Carol Folt announced Monday the hiring of Jennifer Cohen, who spent the last seven years as the University of Washington’s athletic director, to lead the university’s athletic department. Cohen replaces Mike Bohn, who stepped down from the role in May citing health reasons.
“There was one clear candidate who stood out from the rest, who met our criteria, who energized us all with a passion and determination to go above and beyond,” Folt said at Cohen’s introductory press conference. “Through her long career working in athletics, [Cohen] knows how to build and run a professional athletics operation that feels like everybody belongs.”
Folt announced that Cohen is set to take over as USC’s 10th athletic director effective Tuesday. Cohen is the first woman to serve as USC’s athletic director and will be the only female AD in the Pac-12 until the university transitions to the Big Ten in 2024.
Under Cohen’s guidance, Washington also recently announced its planned move to the Big Ten in recent weeks. During her tenure in Seattle, Cohen oversaw the Huskies’ trip to the College Football Playoff in 2016, and she currently serves as a member of the CFP committee as well. Her hiring of Kalen DeBoer as the Huskies’ football coach proved to be immediately successful, as Washington finished 11-2 in his first season last year.
Before her promotion to athletic director at Washington, she spent several years in the department’s fundraising program. Cohen has a personal connection to Southern California, as she was born in Arcadia and graduated from San Diego State in 1991.
“This is extra special for me and very meaningful to come back to my original roots to lead a storied and iconic athletic program at one of the most prestigious universities in the world,” Cohen said.
After her successful tenure at Washington, Cohen jumps to a rather tumultuous job with USC. The athletic department has dealt with numerous scandals in recent years; for instance, the LA Times reported that Bohn fostered a hostile work environment and made inappropriate comments about female colleagues while leading the USC athletic department.
Cohen will also oversee USC’s own shift to the Big Ten next year, in addition to maneuvering through a chaotic period in college sports in the era of NIL.
“When you have momentum like we have here, there is no rest,” Cohen said. “We’ve got to put our foot on the gas, and we’ve got to accelerate, so we can continue to elevate. … One of the main priorities for us is to cultivate the best student-athlete experience in America.”