Thamel: Mississippi State AD John Cohen in Discussions With Auburn, Sources Confirm

MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen could be taking the same job at a different SEC institution.

Mississippi State Director of Athletics John Cohen is rumored to be in contention for a job elsewhere in the SEC.

According to ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel, sources have confirmed that Cohen is in discussions with Auburn to take over as the Tigers' new athletic director. Former AD Allen Greene resigned in late August, and the void has been filled by interim athletic director Rich McGlynn for the past few months. 

The news comes amid a tumultuous football season on the Plains. Auburn sits at 3-4 on the year with a handful of difficult matchups remaining. Head coach Bryan Harsin is in the hot seat, and a slew of players have transferred out of the program in waves over the last few weeks after allegedly being told that they must transfer or quit the team if they wish to redshirt. 

Cohen has served as Mississippi State's AD since late 2016 and is a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. Since his tenure began, five teams have posted program-best seasons: baseball, softball, women's basketball, volleyball and women's soccer. He is responsible for the hiring of 14 new Mississippi State coaches, including head baseball coach Chris Lemonis, who guided the Bulldogs to their first national championship in any sport in 2021. 

Cohen's ties to MSU run much deeper than his current position. He played baseball for the university from 1987-1990, making a trip to the College World Series during his final year with the program. After nearly two decades spent coaching at various schools across the nation, Cohen returned to his alma mater and former team. He led the Diamond Dawgs to the 284-203-1 record and five postseason appearances during his eight seasons with the program. The team finished as the College World Series runner-up in 2013.

Nothing has been finalized as Cohen looks to potentially take over at Auburn, but things could change quickly as the Tigers continue to narrow their search.

Sources: Auburn is in discussions with Mississippi State AD John Cohen to become Auburn’s next athletic director.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 29, 2022