Thursday, January 18, 2001
Ohio State picks Tressel
48-year-old led Youngstown St. to I-AA success
The Associated Press
Tressel
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COLUMBUS — Jim Tressel, who guided Youngstown State to four I-AA national championships in 15 seasons, will be introduced today as the new football coach at Ohio State.
Athletic director Andy Geiger called a 4 p.m. news conference for today to introduce the new coach, although he would not confirm it was Tressel.
Tressel and his wife, Ellen, were in Columbus on Tuesday to tour the Ohio State campus. Tressel met with the school's advisory committee and also spent 90 minutes with Ohio State president William Kirwan.
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TRESSEL FILE
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• Born: Dec. 5, 1952
• Hometown: Berea, Ohio
• Family: Wife Ellen, sons Zak and Eric, daughters Carlee and Whitney.
Coaching Experience
• 1986-present: Head coach, Youngstown State (135-57-2, .701)
• 1983-86: QB, receivers coach, Ohio State
• 1981-82: QB, receivers coach, Syracuse
• 1979-80: QB, receivers coach, Miami U.
• 1975-77: Offensive backfield coach, Akron
Playing Experience
• 1968-71: Lettered four years at quarterback at Baldwin-Wallace College, coached by his father, Lee
Education
• 1977: Masters degree, Akron
• 1975: Bachelors degree, Baldwin-Wallace
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The 48-year-old Tressel accepted the job Wednesday, said two members of the advisory council that helped search for a new coach.
At a meeting with his team at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Tressel told his players he was interested in the job. By late afternoon, Tressel had left, and a school spokesman said he did not know where the coach was headed.
Tressel was 135-57-2 but has never been a head coach in I-A. In an interview with The Associated Press a few hours before he was hired, Tressel said he needed to prove himself all over again.
“I had never coached a day as a head coach until I came here,” he said.
He added that until he actually coached at a major program with the resources of Ohio State, “I don't think anyone knows for sure.”
Ohio State's other finalist was Minnesota's Glen Mason, a former Ohio State player and a member of the same Buckeyes coaching staff as Tressel for two years. Mason interviewed earlier Wednesday. Before flying back to Minnesota, he told reporters his visit went well.
Geiger told Jeff Logan, a member of the advisory committee, that Mason was “devastated” when told Tressel would be the new coach.
Tressel was expected to sign a multiyear contract paying him in excess of $1million a year. His Youngstown State contract, which was to run out in June, gave him a base salary of $88,500 and a $20,000 an nual stipend to also serve as athletics director.
Others who either interviewed or spoke with Ohio State officials about the job included Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, current Buckeyes assistant head coach Fred Pagac, former Ohio State and NFL linebacker Chris Spielman and Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham.
Cooper was fired Jan. 2 after Ohio State lost 24-7 to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Cooper was 111-43-4, shared three Big Ten titles and played in bowls in 11 of his 13 seasons. But he was 3-8 in those bowl games and just 2-10-1 against Ohio State's chief rival, Michigan.
After Cooper's firing, Geiger also cited poor academic performance, taunting during games and skirmishes with the law by Buckeyes players.
“Whether they're from the academic side, boosters or the guys who played here before who are embarrassed by our record against Michigan and embarrassed by the behavior of the players on the field, Jim Tressel is the kind of guy who can heal whatever wounds are out there right now,” said Logan, president of the school's Varsity “O” organization and a former Ohio State player.
Tressel's Youngstown State teams won national titles in 1991, '93, '94 and '97 — the most for a coach in I-AA history.
Tressel took over the Penguins program in 1986. After suffering through a 2-9 season, Tressel guided the Penguins to their first I-AA playoff appearance with an 8-4 mark the next season and won their first Ohio Valley Conference title.
Tressel is the son of Dr. Lee Tressel, who compiled a 155-52-6 record as football coach at Baldwin-Wallace College. He lettered four years as a quarterback for his father.
The Berea native served as an assistant coach at Akron, Miami University and Syracuse before handling quarterbacks and receivers for three years at Ohio State.
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