AURORA | One of the two open head football coaching spots in the city was filled Friday as Hinkley hired Jaron Cohen.
Athletic director Tristen Rogers confirmed the hiring of Cohen, who comes to the program following five seasons at Liberty High School in Colorado Springs.
Cohen — whose team went 4-6 and missed the Class 4A state playoffs in 2012 — takes over the spot vacated by Joe McKain, who was asked to step down following a 2-8 mark in his lone season as the Thunderbirds’ head coach.
“We’re very excited to have Jaron Cohen aboard and feel he is going to be a great fit as a future T-Bird,” Rogers said.
Rogers didn’t give a specific number of applicants for the job, which came open in mid-December, but said the school received several from candidates in and out of Colorado.
Cohen takes over a Hinkley program with a cumulative 22-68 record in the past nine seasons and is still looking for its first 5A state playoff appearance in more than a decade.
Both of the Thunderbirds’ wins in 2012 came by 21-20 scores, including a victory over rival Aurora Central in the final game of the regular season. Fossil Ridge routed Hinkley 74-28 in a week 10 game of non-playoff qualifiers.
Smoky Hill now has the lone football job opening in Aurora and could fill it in the next week.
The school received more than 20 strong applications from multiple states seeking to fill the post vacated after seven seasons by John Thompson.
Several football jobs around the state are beginning to be filled, as the Denver Post reported Denver East hired Spencer Colter on Friday.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555