Washington's Cohen steps away after 30 years

As much as Ron Cohen loves coaching football, the recent death of a close friend and business associate at age 72 caused him to reexamine 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."

Cohen, a longtime fixture on the local high school football scene, announced his retirement on Wednesday as George Washington's head coach after 30 seasons. A health and physical education teacher for 481/2 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."

Cohen compiled a 261-84-2 record at Washington, capturing 12 Public League championships. He is second all-time among city-league coaches, trailing former Malvern Prep coach Gamp Pellegrini's 278 wins.

"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 city "super sites."

Cohen has coached four NFL players, including current Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (Class of 2010) and Giants linebacker Jameel McClain (2003).

Washington went 12-1 in 2004 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 season was 2008. That year, the 10-2 Eagles shocked Catholic League champ La Salle, 23-14, for the District 12 Class AAAA title. It is the only Public League squad to capture a AAAA city title

Before coming to Washington, Cohen was a teacher and assistant football coach at Gratz, Roxborough, and Lincoln. He grew up in Mount Airy and was a two-way back at Germantown (Class of 1961) before playing at Temple.

Cohen, who lives in Huntingdon Valley, plans to enjoy his retirement by spending more time with his wife of nearly 40 years, Mimi, daughters Elyssa and Jamie, and his four grandchildren.