Jim Tressel: Things to know about the former Ohio State football coach

Jim Tressel was in the news earlier this week when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced he’d selected the former Ohio State football coach as the state’s new lieutenant governor.

Tressel would succeed Jon Husted, who was appointed a U.S. senator to replace Vice President JD Vance.

While many people recognize Tressel from his days coaching at OSU, there are many more things to know about him.

• Ohio roots: Tressel was born Dec. 5, 1952, in Mentor, Ohio. His father, Lee Tressel, was the football coach at Mentor High School. Tressel also spent a lot of his childhood in Berea and graduated from Berea High School in 1971.

• Collegiate years: He played quarterback for his father at Baldwin Wallace University, a private college in Berea. He won all-conference honors his senior year. Tressel graduated cum laude in 1975 with a degree in education.

• Miami University: Tressel followed his father’s footsteps as a coach. In 1979-80, he was the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Miami.

• First stop at OSU: After a two-year coaching stop at Syracuse, Tressel was hired in 1983 to be part of Earle Bruce’s coaching staff at Ohio State. He coached quarterbacks, receivers and running backs.

• Youngstown State: In 1986, Tressel took the head coaching job at Youngstown State. During his tenure the team compiled a 135-57-2 record and won four I-AA National Championships.

Credit: bob demay

• Back at Ohio State: OSU hired Tressel as head coach in 2001 and over 10 seasons he compiled a 106-22 record. His tenure included six Big Ten Conference championships, a 5–4 bowl record and an 9–1 record against the arch-rival Michigan.

• National championship: Tressel was head coach when the Buckeyes ended a 34-year title drought by upsetting the University of Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in January 2003 for the national championship.

Credit: PAUL SAKUMA

• Scandal and resignation: In 2011, a player scandal resulted in NCAA violations for the university and a five-game suspension for the coach. Six players were found to have received cash or other improper benefits, such as cars and discounted or free tattoos, from tattoo parlor owner Edward Rife.

In addition, at least 28 players were involved in exchanging memorabilia for services as far back as 2002, Tressel’s second season at Ohio State.

After meeting with university officials, Tressel resigned from Ohio State.

• Return to Youngstown State: After leaving coaching, Tressel served as Vice President of Strategic Engagement at the University of Akron for a couple of years before returning to Youngstown State as its president in 2014. He retired from the university in 2023.