The University of Southern California is hiring Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen for the same position, two industry sources briefed on the decision told The Athletic on Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Cohen will replace former USC AD Mike Bohn, who resigned from the role in May.
- She has helmed the Huskies athletic department since 2016 and hired football coach Kalen DeBoer, who led Washington to an 11-2 mark and a top-10 finish in his first season last year. In March, Cohen was named to the College Football Playoff selection committee.
- USC — along with UCLA, Oregon and Washington —is set to join the Big Ten in August 2024.
Source tells @TheAthletic that USC is hiring Washington AD Jen Cohen as the school’s new athletic director.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 21, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does this mean for USC?
Cohen is the first female athletic director in USC’s history. USC now has a female president with Carol Folt and a female athletic director. She’ll be tasked with guiding USC as it transitions to the Big Ten next year. She’ll inherit Lincoln Riley as her football coach and obviously maintaining that relationship will be of the utmost importance. Navigating the NIL landscape will be important for her tenure…
