Ohio is the type of state where the coach of the flagship university's football team carries a profile on par with the governor—and it appears that notion is about to be put to the test.
Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is considering running for governor of Ohio, he told NBC News in a statement. Tressel, a 72-year-old Republican, was sworn in as Ohio's lieutenant governor on Feb. 14, after former lieutenant governor Jon Husted took Vice President JD Vance's vacant Senate seat.
“What has been a surprise, and it has been humbling, is how many people are encouraging me to run for governor,” Tressel's statement said via Henry J. Gomez of NBC News. "While I have not ruled out a run for Governor—and there will be a time in the future for those conversations—for now, I will remain focused on helping Ohioans get off the sidelines and into our workforce so they can reach their full potential."
Tressel's declaration continues one of college football's more unusual career paths. A distinguished career coaching Youngstown State and the Buckeyes ended in his scandal-plagued 2011 resignation—although the gradual relaxation of NCAA rules around improper benefits served to rehabilitate his image.
Three years after leaving Ohio State, he was named the president of Youngstown State University—a highly unusual appointment for someone without a doctorate. He retired from the position in 2023 before being appointed to his current post in '25.
Ohio's next gubernatorial election to replace term-limited Republican Mike DeWine is scheduled for 2026.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ex-Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel Says He's Mulling Run for Ohio Governor.