Jim Tressel

Jim Tressel
Tressel in 2009 while with Ohio State
9th President of Youngstown State University
In office May 9, 2014 – February 1, 2023
Preceded by	Randy Dunn
Succeeded by	Bill Johnson
Personal details
Born	(1952-12-05) December 5, 1952 (age 71) Mentor, Ohio, U.S.
Spouse	Ellen Tressel
Children	4
Education	Baldwin-Wallace College (BA) University of Akron (MA)
Coaching career
Playing career
1971–1974	Baldwin-Wallace
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1975–1978	Akron (GA)
1979–1980	Miami (OH) (QB/WR)
1981–1982	Syracuse (QB)
1983	Ohio State (QB/WR)
1984–1985	Ohio State (QB/RB/WR)
1986–2000	Youngstown State
2001–2010	Ohio State
2011	Indianapolis Colts (consultant)
Head coaching record
Overall	229–79–2[1]
Bowls	5–4[1]
Tournaments	23–6 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 National (2002) 4 NCAA Division I-AA (1991, 1993–1994, 1997) 1 OVC (1987) 6 Big Ten (2002, 2005–2009)[1]
Awards
8x National Coach of the Year awards OVC Coach of the Year (1987) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (2002) Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (2002) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (2002) Sporting News Coach of the Year (2002) Eddie Robinson Award (1994)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2015 (profile)

James Patrick Tressel (born December 5, 1952) is an American college football coach and university administrator who served as president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio from 2014 to 2023.^[2] Before becoming an administrator, Tressel was the head football coach of the Youngstown State Penguins and later the Ohio State Buckeyes in a career that spanned from 1986 until 2010. Tressel's teams earned several national championships during the course of his career, earning him numerous accolades.

Tressel was born in Mentor, Ohio and attended Baldwin–Wallace College, where he played football as quarterback under his father, Lee Tressel. Tressel succeeded Bill Narduzzi as Youngstown State's fourth head football coach in 1986 and remained there until 2000. In 2001, he was named John Cooper's successor as the head coach of Ohio State. During his tenure as Ohio State's 22nd head football coach, Tressel's teams competed in three BCS National Championship Games, and his 2002 squad won a national title, achieving the first 14–0 season record in major college football since 1897 Penn Quakers.^[3]

Tressel's tenure would, however, come to an abrupt end with his resignation in May 2011 amidst an NCAA investigation into improper benefits violations involving OSU football players during the 2010 season. The investigation resulted in OSU self-vacating victories from the 2010 season including the 2011 Sugar Bowl.^[1] Tressel finished his career at Ohio State with an official overall record of 94–22 (.810), including six Big Ten Conference championships, a 5–4 bowl record, a 4–3 mark in BCS bowl games, and an 9–1 record against the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines. Tressel's eight wins against the University of Michigan place him second in school history to Woody Hayes, who had 16, and he is tied with Urban Meyer as the only Ohio State head coaches to win seven consecutive games against the Wolverines. Tressel's success as a head coach led to him being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

From September 2011 until February 2012, Tressel was a consultant for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL).^[4] From 2012 to 2014 Tressel served as Vice President of Strategic Engagement for the University of Akron, before being named as Youngstown State University President on May 9, 2014.