Jim Tressel politics, explained: Why ex-Ohio State coach was nominated as lieutenant governor by Mike DeWine

Former Ohio State football head coach Jim Tressel is getting back in the public eye. But it won’t be coaching on the college football sidelines or in a broadcast booth.

On Monday, Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced he was picking Tressel as his nominee to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor for the next two years. Tressel had previously been serving as the president of Youngstown State from 2014-2023, where he was also the head coach from 1986-2000.

Let’s take a look at how Tressel is getting into politics, his coaching career and scandal that marred his coaching legacy at Ohio State.

Is Jim Tressel entering politics?

Yes, Governor DeWine has picked Tressel as his nominee to become the next lieutenant governor for the state of Ohio. President Donald J. Trump winning the 2024 Presidential Election sent JD Vance to the White House, which vacated his U.S. Senate seat. Ohio’s previous lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, filled the seat in January.

“He has the requisite skill sets, he has the criteria that I outlined. He knows Ohio,” DeWine said via The Cincinnati Enquirer. “Jim Tressel, I trust his judgment. He is a born leader.”

“I wanted someone who would focus on education, someone who would focus on workforce,” DeWine added.

Tressel will serve two years at the position until the term expires. He could presumably run for other offices in 2026, such as governor. A majority of Ohio House and Senate lawmakers must approve Tressel’s appointment. Republicans hold a wide majority in both chambers, so the pick is expected to go through.

History of coaches in politics

Tressel isn’t the first college football coach to dabble in politics after their coaching days were over. Most recently, Alabama elected former Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville to the U.S. Senate in 2020. He was 159-99 over his 21 seasons as a head coach.

Former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne served in Nebraska’s third district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001-2007. Osborne is the Cornhuskers’ winningest head coach in school history, finishing with a 255-49-3 record. He led Nebraska to three national titles, including a 60-3 record over his last five years in Lincoln.

Jim Tressel coaching career

Tressel played quarterback at Baldwin-Wallace University, a DIII school in Ohio from 1971-74. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Akron from 1975-78. He spent various years on several offensive staffs from 1979-1985, including Miami of Ohio, Syracuse and Ohio State.

He earned his first head coaching job at Youngstown State, where he was the head coach from 1986-2000. He had a massively successful career at Youngstown, leading the Penguins to four national titles, including a 135-57-2 overall record.

In 2001, he was hired as the head coach at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002, finishing with a 14-0 record. The season was capped off with a 31-24 victory over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

Over his next eight seasons at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to five Big Ten Championships, three BCS National Title games, and six wins in the Fiesta, Rose, Sugar and Alamo bowl games. His tenure was viewed as massively impressive before a number of NCAA scandals tarnished his coaching legacy.

Jim Tressel NCAA scandals

1991, Youngstown State

In 1998, Penguins quarterback Ray Isaac admitted to accepting improper benefits from a Youngstown board of trustees member during his 1991 season. The NCAA was tipped off about the violations in 1994 but dropped its inquiry after the school performed an internal investigation.

The NCAA ultimately faulted Tressel and Youngstown State for wrongdoing but didn’t administer punishment due to the statute of limitations expiring, and Youngstown investigating it initially themselves.

2003, Maurice Clarett

Clarett was expected to be a star running back for the Buckeyes. As a true freshman in 2022, he rushed for 1,237 yards with 16 touchdowns, while helping lead the Buckeyes to a national title.

But in the spring of 2003, the NCAA investigated Clarett for receiving cars and cash. Clarett has since claimed that Tressel and his staff directed him towards the cars, in addition to giving “phantom jobs” for cash. Via an ESPN story from 2004:

“I was trying to protect Coach Tressel, the boosters and everybody,” he claims. “There were all kind of bills I had run up that boosters just gave me cash for. And I couldn’t explain to the NCAA where I got it from.

“During the investigation, they started asking, ‘Did anybody else get benefits?’ And I’m sitting there thinking to myself, ‘I’m going through four-hour interviews. If I tell on anyone, you’re going to bring him in, and he’s going to have four-hour interviews. It was more than 10 people. It was more than 20 people.

“The NCAA was, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to say anything about anybody else? And Mr. Geiger was like, ‘Are you sure?’ Inside, I’m like, ‘Are you crazy?’ The only thing that matters at Ohio State is football. Everybody knows what’s going on, but everybody doesn’t want to act like they know.”

Clarett was suspended from Ohio State for the 2003 season and never suited up for the Buckeyes again.

Tattoo-Gate, 2011:

This was the scandal that ultimately led to Tressel’s demise at Ohio State. In March 2011, Ohio State suspended Tressel for the first two games of the season after he failed to notify the NCAA of violations.

Tressel knew that players had a financial arrangement with the owner of a tattoo parlor, who traded Buckeye memorabilia for tattoos. Multiple players, including quarterback Terrell Pryor were involved.

The head coach allowed his players to continue playing, in addition to falsely claiming he reported the violations. He was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice and ultimately resigned in May of 2011.

The Buckeyes were required to vacate its wins from the entire 2010 season, including its win in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. Tressel received a five-year show-cause from the NCAA, which is considered the most severe penalty that the NCAA gives head coaches for serious wrongdoing.

Tressel served as a consultant for the Indianapolis Colts in 2011 but hasn’t coached since.

How old is Jim Tressel?

Tressel is 72 years old, and was born on Dec. 5, 1952 in Mentor, Ohio.