Jim Tressel confirmed as Ohio lieutenant governor with House and Senate vote
Former Ohio State football coach and Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel, left, who Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, right, has just selected to serve as the state's next lieutenant governor. (Photo provided by Ohio governor's office.)
Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has been officially confirmed by the General Assembly as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's lieutenant governor.
DeWine announced Tressel, 72, as his pick for lieutenant governor on Monday and needed the House and the Senate to confirm the pick. Tressel has never held a political position before.
The Senate voted 31-1 and the House voted 68-27 during Wednesday's sessions to make Tressel's appointment official.
State Sen. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, voted against the appointment. All 27 negative votes in the House were from Democrats, but a handful of Democrats voted in support of Tressel's appointment.
Tressel replaces former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, whom DeWine appointed to the U.S. Senate last month to fill Vice President J.D. Vance's Senate vacancy.
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DeWine celebrated Tressel's confirmation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
'Congratulations to Jim Tressel on being confirmed by the Ohio General Assembly to become the next lieutenant governor! He brings a wealth of knowledge to the position and will serve Ohio with distinction,' DeWine said in his post.
Tressel is best known for his time as the head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2001-2010, including winning the 2002 national championship. He then went on to serve as the president of Youngstown State University from 2014-2023. Before his time at Ohio State, he was the head football coach at Youngstown State for 15 years.
Tressel is from Mentor and graduated with a degree in education from Baldwin Wallace University, where he played quarterback on the football team.
'He's widely known, obviously, for his activities on the gridiron, being one of the most successful college football coaches of the last 20 years or so,' said Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. 'He's also widely known, even more importantly, for the mentorship that he provided to countless young men and young women who were part of the Ohio State football program during that time period.'
McColley went on to call Tressel one of the 'greatest leaders we've had in our state.'
State Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, said he has seen firsthand how Tressel has transformed the part of the state he represents.
'He brings about passion for workforce development and higher education,' Cutrona said. '(Tressel) brings out the very best in every person that he meets, and, I believe, he will bring out the very best in Ohio as our next lieutenant governor.'
Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood, had a chance to talk with Tressel before the Senate vote.
'My caucus is very hopeful that Jim Tressel will provide through his expertise and experiences in higher ed that they're hopeful that he will bring some balance and some inside experience and expertise on higher ed to the administration,' she said.
Over in the House, state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, spoke in favor of Tressel's confirmation.
'I, along with many of our colleagues, instantly agreed that that was the right pick because Jim Tressel is a winner, he's a leader and he's a champion for the people of Ohio,' he said.
State Rep. Juanita O. Brent, D-Cleveland, voted against Tressel's confirmation due to his involvement in helping pass a 2015 law that allows the state to take control over school districts with low standardized test scores.
'The Academic Distress Commission has kept schools like in my district — East Cleveland, Lorain, Youngstown — under the control of the state, is taking away parental choice … is taking away the voice of our school board members,' Brent said. 'And the person behind all of this is the person who's now trying to be appointed to our lieutenant governor.'
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