Cohen made a big mark in 30 seasons at GW
As much as Ron Cohen loves coaching football, the recent death of a close friend and business associate at age 72 caused him to re-examine his life.
"It really started to make me think things over," he said. "I'm 71 years old. It dawned on me that no one is here forever. I want to do some things outside of football that I've always wanted to do."
On Wednesday, Cohen, a longtime fixture on the local high school football scene, announced his retirement as George Washington's head coach after 30 seasons. A health and physical education teacher for 48 1/2 years, he will leave that position on Feb. 17.
"People have always said to me, 'You'll know when you're ready to get out' " Cohen said. "And they were right. It's time for me to move on and give someone else a chance at this job."
At Washington, where he spent a total of 31 seasons, Cohen compiled a 261-84-2 record (.757 winning percentage) and won 12 Public League championships. Among city-leagues coaches, only ex-Malvern Prep boss Gamp Pellegrini has more (278).
"To me, it was never about the wins and losses," Cohen said. "It never meant that much to me. More important was the impact I had on the kids' lives and trying to put them in the right direction on and off the field."
Cohen was part of the District 12 steering committee that paved the way for the Public League's entrance into the PIAA in 2004-05 and the development of four Super Sites in the city.
In 2004, Washington went 12-1 and captured the Public League crown. In a PIAA Class AAAA state quarterfinal, the squad gave District 11 power Easton a battle before falling, 15-10, in front of an overflow crowd at Northeast.
"To see the place packed and so many people rooting for us, that was pretty special," Cohen said. "I'll never forget that."
Another banner campaign came in 2008. That year, the 10-2 Eagles shocked Catholic League champ La Salle, 23-14, for the District 12 title before bowing to Parkland, 30-13, in states.
Before coming to Washington, Cohen was a teacher and assistant football coach at Gratz, Roxborough, and Lincoln. Growing up in Mount Airy, he was a two-way back at Germantown (Class of 1961) and went on to play at Temple.
In retirement, Cohen, who lives in Huntingdon Valley, plans to spend more time with his wife of nearly 40 years, Mimi, daughters Elyssa and Jamie, and his four grandchildren. Elyssa is expecting her second child in July.
Two of the four NFL players Cohen has produced are current Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (Class of 2010) and Giants linebacker Jameel McClain (2003).