STARKVILLE — John Cohen had a conversation with former Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Stricklin 26 years ago.
As a senior for the MSU baseball team in 1990, Cohen and MSU were playing a double header at Auburn and they experienced a rain delay. During the delay, Cohen recalled a skinny Stricklin, the sophomore sports information director for the team, coming up to him and asking him what he wanted to do after MSU. Cohen mentioned he wanted to play professional baseball, and then he quickly added another interesting tidbit.
Cohen told Stricklin that he wanted to be an athletic director.
On Friday, that dream became a reality as the MSU baseball coach was named the university’s 17th director of athletics. The details of his contract are not finalized, and MSU spokesperson Sid Salter said he was unsure when they would be announced.
“I think it’s always been in the back of my mind. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Cohen said Friday during his introduction in the Mill at MSU Conference Center ballroom in front of family, friends and Bulldog fans.
On Saturday, Cohen announced the hiring of new baseball coach Andy Cannizaro, who has spent the last two seasons as an LSU assistant. He will be introduced at a 3 p.m. Monday press conference at Bryce Griffis Boardroom.
Stricklin, who left MSU last month to take the AD position at the University of Florida last month, recalls his decades-old conversation with Cohen a little differently. He remembers it taking place during pregame batting practice, and he wasn’t the one who asked the question.
Instead, he said some of the veteran players were talking about life after MSU. Many wanted to play professional baseball. Stricklin remembers the conversation turning serious when Cohen spoke up.
“I remember John all of a sudden spoke up and said, ‘Well, I’m going to play pro ball, but the only reason I’m playing pro ball is I want to get it on my resume. Because one day I want to coach, and then I want to be an athletic director,'” Stricklin said. “What stood out to me about that is I thought, ‘This guy has got a plan. He’s not just throwing stuff out there like a meathead, he’s putting some thought into it and there’s a plan A, a plan B and a plan C. He has every step along the way.’
“He’s really innovative and thinks creatively, which I think is important at Mississippi State,” he added. “He understands the coaches, so I think it’s a great hire.”
Keenum: ‘He’s absolutely the best choice’
Cohen was hired as MSU baseball coach in 2009 by former MSU director of athletics and current Arizona director of athletics Greg Byrne. When Stricklin replaced Byrne, Cohen became very close with him.
“Many times, they would bring this guy into my office to talk to me about some policy revision that they want me to defend or represent when we have our SEC meetings or when I’m going to appear before the NCAA to represent the interest of not only Mississippi State but the entire conference,” MSU President Mark Keenum said. “It didn’t have anything to do with baseball. He’s taken that responsibility very serious.
“He’s absolutely the best choice,” Keenum later added.
Cohen, who said he was involved in certain hires and certain policy discussions as a coach, doesn’t have any administration experience.
As a head coach at MSU (2009-16), Kentucky (2004-08) and Northwestern State (1998-01), Cohen compiled a 605-399-2 overall record.
He served as a graduate assistant at Missouri (1992-94), an assistant at Missouri (1995-97) and an assistant at Florida (2002-03).
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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