Former Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressel confirmed as Ohio’s lieutenant governor

By Canadian Press on February 12, 2025.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressel was confirmed Wednesday as Ohio’s next lieutenant governor.

State senators and representatives affirmed Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s Monday nomination of Tressel in separate floor votes Wednesday: 31-1 in the Senate, 68-27 in the House.

Tressel, 72, succeeds Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed last month to the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Vice President JD Vance.

Tressel retired in 2023 as president of Youngstown State University, a position he had held since 2014. He previously spent nearly a decade as head coach of Ohio State University’s football team, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002 and six Big Ten championships.

He was pressured to resign in May 2011 after a memorabilia-for-cash scandal rocked the team.

After Tressel left Ohio State, he served as executive vice president for student success at the University of Akron before returning to Youngstown State as president.

DeWine has said that Tressel will remain involved in education and workforce development as lieutenant governor.

Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press

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