GREGG ELLIS:Hey, if Cohen could win at Kentucky …
STARKVILLE – Go back to the day Ron Polk announced his retirement, March 27 to be exact.
Just as word was beginning to spread outside the confines of Dudy Noble Field, John Cohen’s name emerged as a candidate.
And not just as A candidate, but THE candidate.
It was a theme, mind you, that stayed constant not only with the fan base, but with Greg Byrne, too.
And to Byrne’s credit, he went “yard” with this entire process.
The soon-to-be athletics director did a thorough search, talked with countless people and heeded advice from those who know the ins and outs of college baseball.
Needless to say, he had the best interest of Mississippi State in mind – unlike some, if you catch my drift.
And what he eventually discovered was that Cohen was highly thought of, from the East Coast to the West Coast.
“When we were going through the process and talking to different people in the baseball world and some of our great players and some who have coached in every level, when you throw out six, seven, eight names you’d say what do you think about this person,” Byrne explained. “When you say what do think about John Cohen, unanimously they said if you can get John Cohen, you get John Cohen.”
