USC Names First Female Athletic Director To Usher In A New Era

USC has hired Washington’s Jennifer Cohen to steer its powerhouse athletic department away from recent controversy and into a new and uncertain era in the Big Ten Conference.

Cohen has spent the bulk of her career at the University of Washington, where she has served as the athletic director since 2016. Under Cohen’s watch, the Huskies have won 17 Pac-12 championships in a variety of sports.

Cohen becomes USC's first-ever woman athletic director. She is one of only seven women out of 65 athletic directors in the Power 5 conferences, according to 2021-2022 research.

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In announcing the new hire at a press conference, USC president Carol Folt cited Cohen's local ties in explaining why she was the right pick for the job. Cohen noted she was born in Arcadia and both parents grew up in the L.A. area.

"So I always had just strong admiration for USC, for the legendary teams, the legendary letterwinners, the Trojan spirit and just the big space that USC takes up in this L.A. sports culture," Cohen said.

Cohen touted on her web page the academic prowess of Washington athletes, noting that eight of the schools’ teams lead the Pac-12 Conference in graduation rates.

One of Cohen’s immediate mandates will be preparing USC as it leaves the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten in 2024, shaking up the lucrative world of college sports.

Cohen was an attractive candidate not only because she ran a successful Power 5 program and takes on national leadership roles in her field, but because of her extensive background in fundraising that will come in handy, especially as USC transitions to the Big 10, said Arizona State University's Stephanie Jarvis.

"You're going to have higher costs for travel now that USC is going to have to be going across the country," said Jarvis who conducts research on the background of athletic directors. "So the fundraising is really important in order to make sure that there's money to support the dollars that are being spent on athletics."

Cohen replaces Mike Bohn, who resigned three months ago after he was questioned over his management style and allegedly making inappropriate comments about female colleagues.

It was later revealed that at the time of his hiring, Bohn was under investigation at the University of Cincinnati for, among other things, making “racially harassing” comments.

Folt did not reference the controversy but noted Cohen "loves to work with her coaches and her staff while building a culture of respect and integrity and I know that’s what everyone cares about here."

Added Cohen: “I will lead with integrity and with character and with heart and I will lead with passion in a way that will be embarrassing sometimes on the sidelines.”

Bohn's sudden departure follows a series of high-profile scandals at USC such as the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal uncovered in 2019. Mastermind Rick Singer was sent to prison earlier this year for his role in a widespread scheme to open “a side door” into selective universities such as USC for the children of wealthy clients such as actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin as well as business titans and lawyers.

USC is also reeling from the fallout of a massive sex abuse case involving former campus gynecologist George Tyndall. The university in 2021 said it would pay out more than $1.1 billion to hundreds of Tyndall's former patients.

Jarvis said some may point to Cohen's hire and say, "'Oh look, they hired a female because they've had these problems in the past' and I don't think that's the case."

Jarvis, who teaches in ASU's Allan "Bud" Selig Master of Sports Law and Business program, said that Cohen is known for aspirations of national championships and is well-known and liked in collegiate sports.

"I think [USC] looked at who's the best person to help us as we transition to the Big 10 and then help us be successful in the Big 10," Jarvis said. "It's great that she is a woman but I don't think she was hired for any symbolic reason."

Watch USC's press conference