Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to be sworn in today as lieutenant governor
Ohio Gov. DeWine nominates Tressel as Lt. Governor
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine nominated former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to be his lieutenant governor for the remainder of his term.
Former Ohio State University head football coach Jim Tressel will be sworn in as the state’s next lieutenant governor Friday morning.
You can watch the Statehouse ceremony live here at 11 a.m.
Gov. Mike DeWine picked Tressel, 72, of Medina, to serve as his No. 2 Monday. Ohio lawmakers swiftly, though not unanimously, confirmed the governor’s pick on Wednesday.
“He’s a natural-born leader,” DeWine said of Tressel. “So, I thought that he would be a great person to be governor if I couldn’t be governor.”
Tressel replaces former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, whom DeWine appointed to the U.S. Senate last month. Husted filled the position previously held by Vice President JD Vance.
Tressel is leaving retirement to take on the role. He served as president of Youngstown State University from May 2014 to February 2023. During that time, he supported then-Gov. John Kasich’s plan to take over failing Youngstown City Schools.
Prior to that, Tressel led the Ohio State University football program, winning the 2002 national championship. He resigned from that position amid an NCAA investigation into his players selling memorabilia and receiving free tattoos − actions that were not permitted at the time.
Tressel has never held public office before. He told the Youngstown Vindicator that he wouldn’t rule out a run for governor as a Republican in 2026. On the GOP side, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has already launched a bid for governor and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy plans to announce later this month.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton is the sole Democrat running for governor in 2026 at this point.
This story will be updated
Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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