The football coach who led Ohio State to its first national championship in more than 30 years has been picked to be Ohio’s next lieutenant governor. Jim Tressel was also the president of Youngstown State and a vice-president at the University of Akron after his coaching career ended following a scandal involving players trading memorabilia for tattoos.

On Monday Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tressel’s appointment to the position, which became available after he moved Jon Husted to Vice President JD Vance’s U.S. Senate seat. Tressel described being selected as “a humbling moment” but admitted this is a new role for him.

“I don’t know this world. Fortunately I believe in our governor and what he believes in. And my first job is to go to school on that,” Tressel said.

Tressel coached at the University of Akron, Miami University and Ohio State before being hired by Youngstown State. He led YSU’s football team to four national championships before he came back to Ohio State in 2001 to replace John Cooper. The Buckeyes’ win in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl was the first national championship for Ohio State since 1968. Tressel resigned in 2011 after the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal broke and Ohio State had to vacate its wins for the 2010 season.

Tressel served as a vice president at the University of Akron and as Youngstown State president until February 2023.

Tressel’s appointment comes as Republican lawmakers are poised to pass Senate Bill 1, a measure that conservatives say will fight back against what they view as liberal indoctrination on public university campuses. The bill would ban nearly all diversity, equity and inclusion programs and training and would ban faculty strikes, among other provisions.

The Ohio House and Senate must confirm Tressel as lieutenant governor.