USC names Washington native Jennifer Cohen as next athletic director: SOURCES

Two industry sources familiar with the decision said USC is hiring Washington Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen for the same position. the athlete on monday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Cohen will replace Mike Boone, who resigned from his position in May.
• She has led the Huskies’ athletic department since 2016 and hired head football coach Kalin 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 scheduled to join the Big Ten in August 2024.

the athleteInstant Analysis:

What does this mean for USC?

Cohen is the first female athletic director in USC history. USC now has a chairwoman with Carol Wohlt and athletic director. She will be tasked with guiding USC as it transitions to the Big Ten next year. She will inherit Lincoln Riley as her football coach and it is clear that maintaining this relationship will be of the utmost importance. Navigating the Nile landscape will also be important to her tenure.

USC’s athletic department has dealt with several controversies over the past decade as well, so keeping the department out of news cycles will likely be a point of focus. This is AD Folt’s second job as USC president and the second time out of the Trojan family, so she clearly wants an outside perspective. – Morales

Why this hire makes sense for both sides

USC gets a proven leader who has overseen success in many different sports during her tenure in Washington. Cohen is currently a member of the CFP Selection Committee and is indeed one of the most prominent female leaders in college athletics. Now, you’ll get the keys to leading one of college sports’ most iconic brands and managing its athletic department as it moves up to the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, for Cohen, timing is everything. Washington just entered Big Ten competition (with a partial quota) and has football in a really good place under DeBoer, which is a great job she’s done in November 2021. Cohen has spent more than two decades in Washington and is ready for something new, especially with her two youngest sons now in college . – Auerbach

required reading

(Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)