Jim Tressel is one of the most beloved Ohio State football coaches in modern history. He was the first coach since Woody Hayes to truly approach The Game with the proper preparation. Right after Tressel was hired, he made his famous speech, letting fans know how much longer away the battle with TTUN was.
Tressel would go on to win a national championship and play for two more during his tenure with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He went 9-1 against TTUN (8-1 officially, but we all remember what happened in 2010 when that win was vacated for the dumbest scandal in history) and showed just how good Ohio State can be in the modern era.
After Tressel was dismissed due to Tattogate, he spent half a season with the Indianapolis Colts as a consultant before eventually becoming the president of Youngstown State. He recently retired from that position, and will now hold a position within the state government in Ohio.
Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel named Lt. Governor of Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine has appointed Tressel as the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Ohio. DeWine made this appointment after appointing the former Lt. Governor John Husted to a senate seat following JD Vance's appointment as Vice President of the United States.
Tressel will now serve two years in this position. For those who live in Ohio, this doesn't come as a massive surprise. There have been rumors swirling that Tressel is gearing up for a run for Governor in 2026. This would be a natural step towards that if those rumors are true.
The former Buckeye head coach has a lot of respect around the state for what he has done at both Ohio State and Youngstown State. This will also mean that he will have a lesser involvement with the Buckeyes after he had become a great fundraiser for the school since his retirement.
It would not be surprising at all to see Tressel make a move to run for Governor after this term is over. He is 72 years old and doesn't look like he wants to slow down.