Kochel served as Director of Behrend College campus from 1954-1980. From 1980 to 1985, the 1947 graduate of Penn State was the college's Assistant Vice President for Administration.
Over the course of his thirty-one years at the college, Kochel was instrumental in moving the college's athletic teams from their infancy to where they stand today. Kochel pushed for expansion of facilities and of the department.
Kochel was awarded six varsity letters at Penn State (four years in track, two in wrestling). He was a member of the first track team ever to win both the Indoor and Outdoor National Championship in the same year.