Cozens was born in Portland, Oregon in 1890. His father, Frederick Cozens (born 1849), was emigrated from England in 1870 and became a salesman at a hardware store in Portland. His mother Carrie E. (Beharrell) Cozens was born in Indiana in 1858.
He received bachelor"s and master"s degrees from the University of California in 1915 and 1918, respectively, and a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Oregon in 1928.
He was the first head coach of both basketball and football at University of California, Los Angeles and served as the school"s athletic director from 1919 to 1942. Cozens had an older sister, Ella M. Cozens, born in 1884. Cozens was employed by the University of California for nearly 40 years.
He began as a teaching fellow and physical education instructor at Berkeley from 1915 to 1919.
In June 1917, he was employed as an instructor of physical education at the University of California at Berkeley, California. In 1919, Cozens moved to University of California, Los Angeles where he served as the Director of Physical Education and Athletics and professor of physical education from 1919 to 1942.
He became the first head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles basketball and football teams in 1919. Cozens remained University of California, Los Angeles"s basketball coach through 1921 and guided them to a 20–4 record.
His University of California, Los Angeles football teams compiled a 2–6 record.
University of California, Los Angeles did not participate in an athletic conference until 1920, so the 1919 football team played a schedule full of local high schools and other assorted teams. Cozens also served as the dean of University of California, Los Angeles"s college of Applied Arts from 1939 to 1942. Cozens" occupation was recorded as a professor at a university.
The couple had two sons, Frederick K. and James B. Cozens" occupation was again listed as a professor at a university.
Cozens returned to Berkeley in 1942 and served as a professor and director of physical education from 1942 to 1954. Cozens died in 1954 in Berkeley.
