Washington goes all in with Huskies lifer Jennifer Cohen

University of Washington president Ana Mari Cauce welcomes new athletic director Jennifer Cohen through the band at her introductory presser at Husky Stadium, Wednesday, May 25,, 2016. University of Washington president Ana Mari Cauce welcomes new athletic director Jennifer Cohen through the band at her introductory presser at Husky Stadium, Wednesday, May 25,, 2016. Photo: Grant Hindsley, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: Grant Hindsley, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Washington goes all in with Huskies lifer Jennifer Cohen 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

Newly appointed University of Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen might not be the most recognizable name in a day and age when stars of yesteryear often find their way into positions of power (see Southern California, University of).

But Cohen does have a one qualification few other candidates for the job could match: she's a Husky lifer.

Cohen was introduced as the Huskies' new athletic director on Wednesday, one day after UW President Ana Mari Cause announced she was removing the interim tag from the title Cohen held since Scott Woodward's departure in January. In her introductory press conference, it became clear that what Cohen might not possess in name recognition, she more than makes up for in passion for the program she's been with for nearly two decades.

"I'm one of those rare people that's been able to learn and grow and develop and stay at they

school that they love their entire career, which doesn't happen very often," Cohen said. "So I sit here today just humbled and honored to be able to serve this great university and this athletic department that I love so much. It's fair to say that this truly is a dream come true for me."

Cohen has stronger local ties than any Huskies AD this century, dating back to when she moved to Tacoma from Southern California as a child. On Wednesday, she recalled memories of attending UW football games with her family.

"My favorite tradition on gameday was coming down to the tunnel and barking at the opponent," she told the assembled crowd of staff, fans and donors at Husky Stadium's Football Operations Center on Wednesday. "I legitimately barked. I guess it was a sign of a future competitiveness in me that I didn't know was coming."

After stints at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound to begin her career, Cohen joined Washington in 1998 as an assistant director of development. She left athletics for a time for a position with UW's central development office, but eventually returned to oversee the major gifts program before being named a senior associate athletic director and presiding over much of the department's fundraising efforts, including raising over $50 million for the renovation of Husky Stadium.

She believes her deep roots with the program give her a unique advantage in her day-to-day work.

"These jobs are all so much about passion," Cohen said after the press conference. "There's so many highs and lows in the work that we do, and it's a grind sometimes. So I think loving what you do and really believing in what you do is such an advantage. When you've grown up in it, it's just so true and people know that it's genuine."

Cohen's move comes at a good time for UW athletics, with a seemingly resurgent big-ticket football program led by head coach Chris Petersen -- who directly reported to Cohen in her former position -- and success throughout the rest of the department, including the first ever Final Four appearance for the women's basketball team in April and a women's golf team competing for an NCAA championship on Wednesday.

That positive momentum is partially why Cohen was an attractive candidate among the 16 to 20 applicants and four to five finalists for the position, according to Cause, who touted Cohen's commitment to Huskies athletics as part of her appeal.

"There are times when you really do want a reset -- and sometimes when you want a reset and a

change in course you might lean more towards the external," Cause said. "What I look for is commitment. It's not a question of exactly how many years can you give us, because no matter what people say, it's hard to tell. But I think you can tell commitment.

"Has this been someone that's jumped around -- two years here, two years there, two years at

the other place -- versus someone that comes and is all in?" she continued. "That's important, because that really does get you through the rough spots. Even in these glamorous jobs, there are rough moments."

There will certainly be challenges. Cohen will need to address improving the gameday experience for fans and managing the allocation of resources between revenue-generating sports and the small-budget Olympic sports. Perhaps most challenging will be balancing the budget for a department whose record-breaking revenue was exceeding by equally record-breaking spending in 2014-15.

"Those that are really close to this program know that we are on the verge of something really special here," Cohen said. "We can all feel it. That being said, there are going to be challenges. This is not all going to be perfect, and we're going to work hard."

Cohen described the job as "all in, all the time," which fit the refrain Cause heard again and again from athletics department staff as she delved into Cohen's background during the hiring process.

"She has a reputation for being present," she said. "She's there. Her family can probably tell you that themselves. She does what it takes, and she pays attention to people -- whether it's the student athletes, whether it's the fans. The supportiveness with which she approaches the tasks -- again and again, I heard from people that they wanted her to lead."

The Huskies are now Cohen's to lead as she attempts to make more lifers.

"I am totally optimistic about the future," she said. "When I close my eyes, I picture this stadium full. When I close my eyes, I picture our student athletes ... competing for national championships. When I close my eyes and think about the future of Husky athletics, I think of student athletes walking out of here and saying, 'That was the best experience of my life.'"

Visit seattlepi.com for more Washington Huskies news. Contact sports reporter Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.