Southern Nazarene (Okla.) head football coach - Mike Cochran

July 29, 2008

BETHANY, Okla. --- Southern Nazarene University (Okla.) head football coach, Mike Cochran, returned this week (July 21) from the Hawaiian Islands after coaching the Pigskin Classic in Oahu.  Cochran's Oklahoma team won their division with a 27-8 win over the Indiana/Tennessee team and a 14-0 win over Montana/Nebraska. 

The Pigskin Classic is organized through Elite Sports and consists of teams assembled by the coaches participating in the Classic. Cochran's Oklahoma squad consisted of 24 players, all from the state of Oklahoma.  Cochran and his SNU football staff selected the 24 players from around the state to participate in the Classic. 

The games were held at the Aloha Bowl, home of the NCAA Division I Hawaii Warriors and the NFL's Pro Bowl.  The Pigskin Classic has been held in the Hawaiian Islands since 2002.

Cochran is a veteran of the Pigskin Classic, having taken five teams from the state of Kansas while he was the coach at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.  Since coming to Southern Nazarene University two seasons ago, Cochran has taken two teams from the state of Oklahoma to the Pigskin Classic.

"The 2008 Pigskin Classic was a great experience for athletes and coaches alike," said Mike Cochran.  "It is an opportunity to play and coach the game we all love in an amazing environment.  It is not just an athletic event, it is a cultural experience that the student-athlete will remember for a lifetime."

Cochran's Southern Nazarene University football team will open up the 2008 season on August 30th at 6:00 p.m. against NCAA opponent, Eastern New Mexico, at the SNU Football Stadium.  In two seasons at the helm of SNU football, Cochran has a record of 13-7 after leading SNU to a 6-4 mark last year. 

For more information on the Pigskin Classic, click on the following link. http://esifootball.com/