Cornell College found its new athletic director in the Iowa Conference office. John Cochrane has served as the commissioner of the league since 2001. Cochrane says it seems unusual, but he says he wanted to be more involved in the day-to-day development of young people. He says you get involved to interact with athletes and he was getting that very peripherally in the conference office.
And the location was perfect. Cochrane has lived in Mount Vernon while leading the conference. He says his seven years in Mount Vernon was a factor as he doesn’t have to move his family. Cochrane says his goal is to raise the program’s level of success in the Iowa Conference. He says there’s no magic potion to jumping levels, he says it just takes a lot of hard work in selling the program to high school students.
Cochrane says he is convinced that the school is committed to improve the athletic department. He says the steps they’ve taken in staff and facilities makes it a very attractive position with something he believes he can build on. Cochrane replaces Dick Simmons, who had served as Cornell’s interim AD since August of 2007.