SEATTLE, Wash., -- With the marching band playing the Washington fight song behind a packed recruiting lounge at Husky Stadium, new Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen made it clear all 72,500 seats inside the stadium will be loud again.

Cohen, 46, was tabbed by recently appointed university president Ana Mari Cauce to be the schools interim athletic director on January 19. During her roughly four months in the interim role Cohen hired Michael Porter Sr., a former Missouri women's basketball assistant, as an assistant men's basketball coach.

While she made the hiring without knowing eventually she would be named the permanent athletic director, it was with her life-long ambition to continue improving a program and a school she's loved her entire life.

"No I actually did not know if I was going to get the job," Cohen told Rivals.com in an exclusive interview. "I knew that they were going to do a full search and they were going to get the best person. There was never a time for sure that I had this thing.

"But we made a commitment and she [Ana Mari Cauce] gave me the support that, when I was interim, that we could make the right decisions. And I wanted to support men's basketball. I want them to get competitive again and I want them to improve and I want them to win. And it felt like the right to be able to do to make the decision for that program."

Women's basketball Head Coach Mike Neighbors also received a substantial contract extension through 2022-23 after taking the Huskies to the Final Four in 2015-16. On Wednesday, the UW women's golf team defeated Stanford to win the NCAA Championship, a good start for Cohen's first day.

The University of Washington announced that Cohen and the school have agreed to a memorandum of understanding, with the official contract still being worked on. According to the agreement Cohen received a five-year contract worth $460,000 in annual base compensation. Another $100,000 in supplemental compensation is included for athletics success on and off the field.

Over the past year the athletic program has made improvements, with women's volleyball making the Elite 8 and the football program on the cusp of turning the corner. However, Cohen has already had conversations with UW men's basketball head coach Lorenzo Romar about expectations for the 2016-17 season.

"I think Seattle is a great place for basketball and the University of Washington has everything it needs here to be successful," Cohen said. "Lorenzo and I have had a couple conversations already about our expectations and what we're looking for moving forward. We both agree this program needs to be more competitive, it needs to improve and we expect to be in the post season."

Cohen has spent 18 years in the athletic department and a majority of her focus has been on fundraising. She was also one of two UW officials, former athletic director Scott Woodward being the other, that went to Boise, Idaho, to interview Chris Petersen for the UW head coaching vacancy before being hired.

Petersen, along with several other players and administrative staff, were on hand for the Cohen introductory press conference Wednesday. For the Petersen, the Huskies' head coach feels it's a seamless transition with the two built on the same fundamentals.

"What's been great is she's been our point person on the administrative side so I've worked almost daily with her for two-and-a-half years on what goes on in this program," Petersen told Rivals.com in an exclusive interview. "I think we see eye to eye on how to treat kids and how to run a program. So I think it's a great day for Washington in terms of us being able to hit the ground running and everybody being on the same page to move the needle."

With several investments being made in football, men's and women's basketball, and other athletic programs at Washington, Cohen does value visibility to all programs. However, her love for the Huskies and her determination to improve UW athletics, doesn't and won't consist of harping from behind the bench.

"Well I think visibility in general is important in this role," Cohen said. "One of those objectives we have is to really unite this community. So I think it's important with our student body, with our facility and with our fans that people know I care and I'll be present. I'm going to behave . . . But I will be very present."