From NFL Front Offices to the Red Devils Sideline
Scott Cohen '91 returns to Dickinson football as volunteer assistant coach
For Scott Cohen '91, giving back to Dickinson has never meant simply attending games or following the Red Devils from a distance.
Throughout his 34-year career in the National Football League, Cohen stayed connected to the college, its students and its football program. He formed alumni groups, created networking and mentorship opportunities and helped preserve relationships between former players and the coaching staff.
Now Cohen is returning to the field.
A Homecoming
The former Dickinson wide receiver is joining the Red Devils as a volunteer assistant coach, focusing on special teams, game management and situational football.
"We are excited to add Scott to our staff," says Head Coach Brad Fordyce. "His passion for Dickinson, coupled with his high football IQ, will serve as a great addition to our team and our culture." For his part, Cohen is also eager to get started.
"I've always enjoyed giving back to connect alumni with the coaching staff and players," Cohen says. "This was a unique opportunity to help make an impact on the field in a more direct way."
The NFL
At Dickinson, Cohen was a four-year starting wide receiver and a member of three consecutive championship teams from 1988 to 1990. All three teams were later selected for induction into the Dickinson Athletics Hall of Fame. He majored in economics and minored in policy management, but he credits former head coach Ed Sweeney with many of the principles he carried into professional football. Cohen's NFL career began with four summer internships at the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) training camp in Carlisle. After graduating from Dickinson, he joined the organization as a scouting assistant while also helping run training camp.
He went on to spend 23 seasons in scouting, with stops in Washington, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, New York and Tampa Bay, working as a college scout, assistant director of pro scouting, director of pro scouting and assistant general manager. Cohen later moved to the coaching staff in Baltimore, where he spent nine seasons as director of football research under John Harbaugh. His group blended coaching information, professional scouting reports and analytics to sharpen advanced scouting and situational football preparation.
He closed out his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans, spending two seasons as director of football strategy and implementing a similar collaborative system among the coaching, scouting and analytics departments.
That background will allow Cohen to give Dickinson insight into the areas that often decide close games.
"I've learned from some of the best NFL coaches over my years," Cohen says. "I hope to bring knowledge, ideas and techniques to help give us an edge throughout the season."
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published September 15, 2026