Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tabs ex-Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to serve as lieutenant governor

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday morning that he has picked former Ohio State coach and college administrator Jim Tressel to serve as lieutenant governor for the remaining two years of DeWine’s term. Tressel’s appointment is still subject to confirmation by the Ohio General Assembly. 

“I wanted someone who would focus on education, someone who would focus on workforce,” DeWine said during a press conference Monday, according to The Columbus Dispatch.   

This will be Tressel’s first foray into state politics. Tressel most recently served as the president at Youngstown State University, a position that he held from May 2014 to Feb. 2023. Tressel was also a vice president at the University of Akron from 2012-14. 

Prior to his role as an administrator, Tressel made a name for himself as a collegiate coach, where he spent a majority of his career in the state of Ohio. He led Youngstown State’s football program from 1986-2000, winning four NCAA Division I-AA championships with the Penguins. 

In 2001, he left for Ohio State, where he won six Big Ten titles during his 10-year tenure with the Buckeyes. Tressel also led Ohio State to a win against Miami in the 2002 BCS National Championship Game, giving the Buckeyes their first national title since 1970. 

Tressel won at least 10 games in eight of his seasons at Ohio State and departed Columbus with a 106-23 overall record, including a 63-15 showing in Big Ten play.