May 7, 2008
(release courtesy of Kerry Kahl, Cornell College director of information)

MOUNT VERNON , IOWA . . . John Cochrane, Commissioner of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has been named Director of Athletics at Cornell College.

Since 2001, Cochrane has served as the first full-time commissioner of the IIAC. He was formerly with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in various positions, including Assistant Director of Championships where he was responsible for directing and coordinating NCAA championships in all three divisions from 1999-2001. Cochrane also served as Membership Services Representative and Enforcement Representative in the NCAA National Office.

“We are thrilled to have John at Cornell,” Cornell President Leslie H. Garner said. “He’s strongly committed to our athletics program, the quality of life on campus, the student-athlete, and our community.”

Cochrane has been an instructor in sports law, marketing and management at Cornell since 2003. He will begin his new duties June 16.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to be more directly involved in the day-to-day development of young men and women. This is something very important to me and is really the foundation for why we all pursue educational-related careers,” Cochrane said. “I’m convinced there is an institution-wide commitment to the improvement of success in athletics. There is no quick fix to turn around a Division III program. It will take a lot of work to attract the student-athletes we need at Cornell. I hope to build on the momentum from a facilities stand point that has been established the last two years. I believe there are a lot of exciting opportunities down the road.”

Cochrane replaces Dick R. Simmons, who has been Cornell’s Interim Director of Athletics since August 2007.

Cochrane is a member of the Mount Vernon school board, and was formerly chair of the NCAA Championships Committee, and the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

Cochrane was a varsity football and tennis team member at Kansas University in 1984 and 1985. He graduated from Iowa State University in May 1988, and received his law degree from the University of Iowa in December 1990. Cochrane held positions as Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach, Recruiting Coordinator, Academic Coordinator and Compliance Coordinator at the University of Detroit Mercy from 1991-1994.

Cochrane and his wife, Kathleen, reside in Mount Vernon with their three children, Karly, Emma and Jack.

A search for Cochrane's replacement in the IIAC Office will begin as soon as possible.

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