DeWine picks ex-Ohio State football coach for lieutenant governor

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced on Monday that he’s selecting ex-Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to be the Buckeye State’s next lieutenant governor.

DeWine in his Monday announcement lauded Tressel as a “born leader” who “has the ability to pull people together” and shares the governor’s “vision for the future of the state of Ohio.” 

He is on tap to succeed Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who was DeWine’s second-in-command before the governor picked him last month to fill the Senate seat vacated by Vice President Vance. 

Known on the field for his signature sweater vest, Tressel coached the Ohio State Buckeyes for 10 seasons, bringing the school its first national championship in more than 30 years.

He was forced to resign in 2011, however, over a scandal involving players receiving improper benefits in violation of NCAA rules.

He more recently served as the president of Youngstown State University. 

If he’s successfully confirmed by the Ohio House and Senate, he’ll fill out the rest of Husted’s term as lieutenant governor, through 2026. 

Asked at Monday’s press conference about the possibility of an eventual run for governor, Tressel didn’t explicitly rule it out, but said he has a “singleness of purpose” for his tenure as lieutenant governor.

DeWine is term-limited, and the 2026 Ohio governor’s race is already drawing attention with state Attorney General Dave Yost (R) expected to battle against former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, whose campaign launch is anticipated later this month, for the Republican nod.