Jen Cohen met with the media this evening via Zoom, and fielded dozens of questions about the firing of Jimmy Lake, and the new direction the program will take going forward.

In her opening statement, Cohen said met with Jimmy Lake today to inform him of his dismissal, while also reassuring the coach they will honor his current contract (financially).

Without going into private details, Cohen said that meeting “was professional”.

Cohen said she has been evaluating Lake “holistically” the past several weeks, and that this was a “difficult and complicated” decision, citing not one single issue, but a “multitude of things” contributing to Lake’s dismissal.

Cohen also said that she is “really disappointed and sad…this hire is on me. I own it.”

After meeting with Lake, Cohen met with the assistant coaches and the team.

Now, Cohen says there will be a “swift and thorough” coaching search. She said that she will have an advisory group with “strong football backgrounds”, as well as the use of a search firm — although she said she doesn’t yet know of the “scope of the role” a search firm would play.

She will also talk with players and “hear their voices”.

That search starts today, Cohen said, adding that she “has the resources to go get the best coach.”

When asked if Cohen wants to seek out candidates who have head coaching experience now versus coordinators, Cohen simply said she wants “the best person for the job.”

Here is the Zoom meeting in its entirety.