John Cohen and his wife, Nelle Bashinsky Cohen, have known each other since high school. Even though they were close friends at the time, his wife never dreamed she would marry him and become Jewish.

Introduced as just friends, Cohen was more into sports back then, while his wife was not really into sports. However, after dating Cohen, her life was filled with sports.

Pursuing his passion, Cohen previously coached baseball at Mississippi State University, where he also worked as the athletic director from 2016 to 2022.

After completing one season at Birmingham-Southern Collegiate in Alabama, he played college baseball for Mississippi State (1988–1990).

During his final year at Mississippi State, he also participated in the squad that won the 1990 College World Series. After that, he spent two years in the Minnesota Twins’ minor system (1990–1991).

Before claiming the head coaching position at the University of Kentucky, he then went on and spent the 2002–2003 season as an associate at the University of Florida. Similarly, on June 6, 2008, Cohen was named head coach of his alma mater, Mississippi State.

Some Quick Facts About John Cohen

Who Is John Cohen Wife Nelle Bashinsky?

John Cohen and his wife, Nelle Bashinsky, have known each other since their high school days. They were just good friends at that time. Her husband was Jewish and was involved in sports, while Nelle wasn’t interested in sports.

From her ironic remarks in an interview, it emerges that Nelle is not the first Jew in her family.

Her great-great-grandfather, Leopold Bashinsky, was Jewish. He was born in Prussia in 1851 and immigrated to the United States when he was 15 years old. He had family in Georgia and Alabama and eventually settled in Troy, Alabama.

Although the precise day of their wedding is uncertain, Nelle took to Facebook to commemorate her wedding anniversary in August of last year.

Furthermore, she is presently 53 years old, making her three years younger than her husband, Cohen, who is currently 56.

Cohen Shares Two Kids With His Wife

John Cohen is the father of two children; Jordan Cohen and Avery Cohen.

Avery self-identifies as a hermaphrodite and has been medically transitioning for over six months in 2019. The specifics of his alterations were made public in a post written by his mother.

Similarly, his sister, Jordan, also posted a post saying she has a brother. Additionally, Avery is 25 years old, having been born on March 18, 1997.

His daughter, Jordan, on the other hand, began her legal studies at Wake Forest Law in 2019.

John Cohen Net Worth: How Much Does The Athletic Director Earn?

John Cohen’s net worth and salary as an AD are estimated to be approximately $1.5 million. His compensation is about to be boosted since Auburn is allegedly increasing the AD’s salary for Cohen.

Cohen played an important role for the MSU baseball team that won the College World Series in 1990 and the 1989 SEC title. In 1990, he earned an English degree from MSU, and in 1994, he graduated from the University of Missouri with a master’s degree in sports management.

Before serving as the university’s head coach from 1998 to 2001, he worked at Missouri for six years as a graduate assistant and assistant coach.

Before taking over as head coach at the University of Kentucky in 2004, where he remained for five seasons, he spent two seasons as an associate baseball coach at the University of Florida.

With a spectacular worst-to-first finish in his third season, Cohen led the Wildcats to the program’s first SEC title in 2006.

Auburn Reportedly Raising John Cohen’s Salary

John Cohen is staying in the SEC West but is getting a significant salary raise. Auburn is appointing Cohen, the Mississippi State athletic director, to fill the same position exactly two months after Allen Greene’s last day of tenure.

Since 2016, Cohen has served as the AD at his alma university. She was once the baseball team’s head coach at Starkville and a two-time SEC Coach of the Year. In July, he was given a four-year extension.

Cohen has agreed to a five-year, $1.5 million per year agreement with Auburn, according to a story published on Monday by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

After receiving an extension this past summer, Cohen’s salary increased by $400,000 from what he was receiving at Mississippi State.

Additionally, it’s double what Greene earned yearly throughout the course of his five-year contract ($625,000) after being recruited in 2018.

Although Mississippi State president Mark Keenum stated in a release Monday at 11:29 a.m. CST that Cohen has notified him of his choice to resign, Keenum confirmed that Cohen is accepting a job at another SEC institution. Auburn has yet to formally identify Cohen as its new AD.

John Cohen Career As An Athletic Director

On November 4, 2016, Cohen was appointed as Mississippi State University’s 17th director of athletics. It didn’t take him long to make his mark on the division.

Since then, he has served as the former MSU baseball head coach and is a two-time SEC champion.

The reigning Coach of the Year oversaw probably the finest stretch in Bulldog sports history. Even since the spring of 2018, State has won five SEC team titles, the most in a two-year stretch in school history.

In July 2008, Cohen, who had coached collegiate baseball for more than 20 years, was appointed MSU’s head coach.

Nine years later, Cohen’s official participation in the administration didn’t start until he added the position of associate athletic director to his head baseball coach duties.

Served As A Driving Force For Many Facility Projects On Campus

Since taking on the position of athletic director, Cohen has spearheaded the construction of a number of cutting-edge facilities on campus, such as the brand-new Dudy Noble Field, which cost $68 million and debuted in the spring of 2019.

With the Left Field Lofts, a ground-breaking experience with opulent two-bedroom apartments affording breathtaking views of the new Dudy Noble Field, the ballpark has earned praise as the greatest in all of collegiate baseball.

At the north end of Davis Wade Stadium, Cohen gave his approval for the building of a brand-new, $3.6 million football locker room and recruiting facility.

The 11,100-square-foot locker room, which was completed in September 2018, has separate locker rooms for coaches and staff, custom-built player lockers, a sizable athletic training area, and an equipment room.

Some FAQs

Who Is John Cohen Wife Nelle Bashinsky?

Cohen and his wife, Nelle Bashinsky Cohen, is a native of Tuscaloosa, who have known each other since high school.

How Many Kids Does John Cohen Have?

John is the father of two children; Jordan Cohen and Avery Cohen.