Report: Auburn athletic director John Cohen receives two-year contract extension

According to the USA TODAY, Auburn athletic director John Cohen has received a two-year contract extension. An open records request revealed the new deal for Cohen, now keeping him on the Plains through Oct. 2029. Some security as the Tigers seem to have their guy for the next five-plus years.

“Cohen’s agreement with Auburn, which began in November 2022, was originally set to run through October 2027,” the report said. “The extension now dictates his contract will run through October 2029. The addendum to Cohen’s contract was signed by himself and Auburn University president Chris Roberts on May 2.”

Auburn previously had Allen Greene running the athletic department but let go of him. They pursued Cohen, who was already in the SEC with Mississippi State. Cohen decided to cross state lines and has already made a few important decisions.

Just days before Cohen was officially hired by Auburn, they decided to fire Bryan Harsin after less than two years of running the football program. Cohen instantly had a big decision to make after coaching through the hiring process, he landed on Hugh Freeze and named him the next head coach.

Year One resulted in a 6-7 record but optimism surrounding Auburn has not been this high in quite some time. Freeze has recruited at a high level, especially compared to Harsin, and there is faith he will take the program to a new height.

But arguably the biggest move Cohen has pulled off is signing Nike as the school’s official apparel brand. There had previously been a 20+ year relationship with Under Armour but the Tigers will spend at least the next 10 years with Nike.

“We are excited to enter this new partnership with Nike, a brand that consistently champions athletes and sport around the world,” Cohen said in a statement. “We are appreciative of their strong support throughout this process. We believe that our 10-year agreement, beginning in July 2025, will continue to elevate Auburn and best serve our student-athletes and our university moving forward.”

“We are also grateful to Kevin Plank and Under Armour for their 18 years of valued partnership in growing the Auburn brand and serving our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate this relationship throughout the final year ahead.”

With his deal running through Oct. 2029, plenty of other big-time decisions are heading to Cohen’s desk in the future. Auburn is seemingly happy with the choices thus far and decided to reward him.