Bonnabel names BJ Cohen as head football coach

KENNER, LA — Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School has named Francis “B.J.” Cohen as the new head football coach effective March 14, 2022 replacing Bret Bonnaffons after four years at the helm of the Bruins.

Coach Cohen has most recently served at Bonnabel as the head coach for girls’ basketball and outdoor track. His previous football coaching experience includes 7 years in the Arena Football League and 8 years as a high school coach in Florida and Georgia.

Following a high school career at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia, he played college football at Marshall University where he was named All-Conference four consecutive years and All-American three times. He finished his career as one of the all-time leaders in sacks in NCAA history. Coach Cohen was elected to the Marshall University Hall of Fame in 2005.

His playing career continued primarily in the Arena Football league with the Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm, Kansas City Brigade, and the New Orleans VoodDoo. He won two Arena Bowl over the course of his career as well as being named to All-Arena teams 3 times. In 2015, he was named a finalist for the Arena League Football Hall of Fame.

Cohen is a graduate of Marshall University with Bachelor’s in Sports Management and Marketing and of the American College of Education with a Master’s in Educational Leadership.

He and his wife Kim reside in Metairie with their two youngest children of six.