The most popular figure on Auburn’s campus is excited about the future of the Tigers’ athletics department under new athletics director John Cohen.

After previewing his team’s preseason exhibition against Alabama-Huntsville, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl on Tuesday spoke effusively about the hire of Cohen, who was officially named Auburn’s new athletics director on Monday afternoon.

“Obviously, (Cohen) sees Auburn as a place where you can do even more than he’s done at Mississippi State,” Pearl said. “He had a great job and they loved him down there and he was a legend down there. So, he understands our challenges, but he understands our goals also. So, I think he’s going to be tremendous.”

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Cohen served as athletics director at Mississippi State, his alma mater, since November 2016 before resigning Monday morning. Prior to that, he spent eight seasons as the Bulldogs’ baseball coach, leading the program to five postseason appearances, including a runner-up finish at the College World Series in 2013.

During Cohen’s time as Mississippi State’s athletics director, the Bulldogs enjoyed the most prosperous stretch in the school’s athletics history in terms of success athletically, academically and in facilities enhancements. That success was highlighted by a 2021 College World Series title for the Bulldogs, marking the first team national championship in any sport at Mississippi State. Five Mississippi State programs turned in program-best seasons during Cohen’s time at the helm of the athletics department, including softball earlier this year, baseball during the CWS season, soccer in 2018 and women’s basketball in 2017 and 2018. He is one of three active SEC athletics director to hire an eventual-national championship winning head coach in any sport.

Now Cohen is hoping to build up similar success at Auburn, where he takes over as the 16th athletics director in program history on a reported five-year deal worth $1.5 million a year.

“I’m excited about John Cohen; I really am,” Pearl said. “The guy has got unbelievable experience. Obviously, tremendous SEC experience, tremendous experience in the region having grown up in Alabama, coached at the different places he’s coached all throughout the SEC as an assistant. And then built a championship program, not just a championship team at Mississippi State. And then to move on the administrator level, I know that Commissioner Sankey holds him in tremendously high regard having been in that SEC AD meetings, been in that room. Then high character, very, very intelligent.”

Cohen’s first directive as Auburn’s athletics director on Monday was to promote Rich McGlynn to deputy athletics director, effectively making him the No. 2 in Auburn’s athletics department. McGlynn, who has been at Auburn since 2006 and has overseen the program’s compliance department during that time, served as interim AD from Sept. 13 until Monday’s announcement of Cohen’s hiring. McGlynn is well-respected within Auburn’s athletics department and was a strong internal candidate for the full-time job.

Cohen’s decision to elevate McGlynn was one that left a considerable impression on Pearl, who has been a big proponent of McGlynn. Along with his role in compliance, in which he helped Auburn basketball and Pearl navigate the NCAA investigation that stemmed from the 2017 FBI scandal across the sport, McGlynn has been the program administrator for Auburn’s men’s basketball team and has built a strong relationship with Pearl.

“I think already that was very, very wise of him to elevate Rich McGlynn to deputy AD and take advantage of Rich’s talents and his abilities,” Pearl said. “I think Rich was a legitimate candidate for the job. So, I think we got the best of both worlds. Somebody that has been on campus and has a great reputation on campus like Rich, and I think it’s going to enable John to come in and be effective Day 1. So very, very excited about the hire.

“Dr. Roberts went about this as I anticipated he would. And that is he’s going to do his work, he’s going to do his research, he’s going to get well informed and he’s going to make decisions, which I think is a great thing for a leader to do.”

As for whether Pearl has any advice for his new boss, the often-outspoken coach — who been a great ambassador for all Auburn sports during his time on the Plains — said he’ll be glad to offer advice only if asked for his opinion.

“My job it to help Auburn be better,” Pearl said. “My job is to help John be better, help Rich be better, help our new football coach be better. Help our basketball team—first and foremost, I’ve got to take care of my basketball job. That’s always been the way I feel my role and what I want to do, and I think Auburn wants me to do that.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.