When Lincoln Riley drove into Los Angeles as the new head football coach at USC, he did not merely bring his Oklahoma-winning bloodline; he brought an entourage of football brains and a free-thinking cast of staff set on bringing the Trojans to the top level of college football. You’ve got Doug Belk directing the secondary and Zach Hanson constructing an offensive line as strong as any in the Big Ten. On offense, Luke Huard brings a quarterback whisperer’s calmness. But it’s more than X’s and O’s. The support staff is deep, from assistant AD and player relations liaison Gavin Morris, basically the campus “fixer” who keeps everyone in line, to Bennie Wylie turning up the heat on strength and conditioning.
And when you are the head of such a team, it is nice when any of your colleagues do something awesome that also puts the name of the program into the limelight in the process. Enter Jennifer Cohen, the boss lady, who has been USC’s Athletic Director since August 2023. And with that, the Trojan world of athletics embarked on a new era altogether. Cohen, a native of Southern California and USC’s first female athletic director, entered with a winning reputation on the field and in the boardrooms of fundraising. And with that, it was no surprise in 2025 that Jennifer Cohen took home the Sandy Barbour Nike Division I FBS Athletic Director of the Year award.
No sooner was the news out than Lincoln Riley jumped onto Instagram and let the world know what he thought about Cohen’s huge victory. No official release, no scripted tweets, just Riley being himself. “Well-deserved!” Two words. That’s all. And Trojans all across the world got the message loud and clear. And nobody who watched USC’s wild ride year was surprised.
Since taking on the helm in August 2023, Cohen has orchestrated USC’s seamless transition to the Big Ten Conference. Her inaugural full competitive year witnessed a cascade of championships with two NCAA national titles in men’s indoor and outdoor track & field, three Big Ten championships in women’s sports, and three additional Trojan teams ending as national runners-up.
When the dust had settled, eight Trojan programs stood in the top five nationally, 16 in the top 25, and the Trojans were second in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, the best in the Big Ten, and USC’s highest ever. Trophies, however, don’t make an AD of the year. Cohen shocked the world of college athletics by tripling USC’s pool of available NIL opportunities through blue-chip partnerships. She secured a record $50 million gift for the new football stadium and completely overhauled the football front office. But hold up, there are off-the-field accomplishments too.
USC student-athletes reached all-time highs in GPA, Graduation Success Rate, and Academic Progress Rate, reflecting Cohen’s dedication far exceeded scoreboards. Lincoln Riley? He was among Cohen’s most vocal boosters. He declared her an “absolute force” among the Trojans. To Riley, it wasn’t about winning but the “championship culture” Cohen instilled throughout USC athletics. For a traditionally flavored and expectation-rich campus, Cohen’s trophy was more than a personal award; it was evidence of a new gold standard for Trojan leadership.
Jennifer Cohen’s playbook of fueling the future of USC Athletics
Jennifer Cohen’s USC athletic department has finally dropped the curtain on something big: the brand-new Trojan Athletic Fund (TAF). With the old system in place for close to two decades, Cohen and her staff figured it was time to press ‘reset’ and introduce a new playbook on engaging fans, empowering student-athletes, and powering Trojan triumph under the Big Ten.
“Adapting our business to secure critical resources for our student-athletes, prioritizing partnerships, and building alignment are central to our MAP to win the era, and we are excited to announce the new Trojan Athletic Fund, which has been redesigned to better support our student-athletes and better engage our fans,” said Athletics director Jennifer Cohen.
She adds, “The Trojan Athletic Fund reflects our unwavering commitment to building championship-level programs, creating competitively advantageous environments across our athletics venues, and ensuring USC remains the PLACE TO BE for student-athletes to reach their full potential in all they do.” Cohen described the move as “central to our MAP to win the era,” explaining that this fund is about more than merely raising money. What really stands out is the way the new fund turns the script around for Trojan boosters. First, football and men’s basketball ticket prices fall by an average of 47% and 61%, making it less expensive to pack the Coliseum and Galen Center with authentic Trojan passion.
All seats now have an open, market-based price. That is, no more dizzying tiers or secret charges. Big-time contributors aren’t left out. Anyone who donates $1 million or more in their lifetime becomes a member of the elite Trojan Leadership Circle, along with premier benefits. Donors above $50,000 annually are treated like royalty as “Trojan Champions,” with doors opening to greater interaction with coaches and athletes, as well as insider access on game day. Every donation constructs four pillars: the Trojan Victory Fund (NIL), scholarships, preeminent capital projects such as the Bloom Football Performance Center, and a per-seat contribution model to pack the stadiums and create a deafening sound.
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