By: BILL WAGNER (HometownaAnnapolis.com) -
With his trademark sweater vest and wire-rimmed glasses, Jim Tressel looks more like a college professor than a college football coach.
In an era when others in the profession are flamboyant and loom large over the program they direct, Tressel is understated and unpretentious. The phrase “substance over style” has been used often to describe Tressel.

Tressel has enjoyed tremendous success since taking over as head coach at Ohio State in 2001. The Ohio native has earned the respect and admiration of an entire state by leading the beloved Buckeyes to an 83-18 record, five Big Ten titles and a national championship in eight seasons.

Ohio State has enjoyed six 10-win seasons and played in three national championship games under Tressel. The Buckeyes have finished Top 5 in the final Associated Press poll five times during his tenure.

Perhaps most important: Tressel owns an impressive 7-1 record against archrival

Michigan. That fact alone has made him an iconic figure to most Ohioans, whose passion for football is well-chronicled.

By all accounts, Tressel has solidified Ohio State as one of the nation’s premier college football programs while operating with integrity and honesty. He works hard to develop personal relationships with every player in the program, going so far as to ensure he remembers the buying prescription drugs first names of their parents.

“I truly believe that Coach Tressel cares what kind of men we become. He wants us to be good people who are successful in life,” former defensive tackle David Patterson told the New York Times.

Tressel says that is very true and that it’s a trait he picked up from his father. Lee Tressel was a legendary coach - first at Ohio prep powerhouses Mentor and Massillon and later at Baldwin-Wallace, which he led to a 155-52-6 record and the 1978 Division III national championship.

“Certainly my father was a major influence and the primary reason why I got into coaching,” Tressel said. “Our house was next door to the stadium so I had the luxury of watching him work every day. I saw the impact he made on young men, more so off the field than on. That’s what I learned most from my dad: That you have to care about every person, and if you’ll build your program around care, you’ll have a chance to succeed.”

Tressel played quarterback at Baldwin-Wallace for his father, who died of cancer in 1981. He was an all-conference selection as a senior in 1974.

Tressel served stints as an assistant coach at Akron, Miami of Ohio, Syracuse and Ohio State. He worked under two legendary coaches at the latter schools in Dick MacPherson and Earl Bruce.

Tressel got his chance to be a head coach at Youngstown State, and did not disappoint. In 15 seasons (1986-2000), he guided the Penguins to a 135-57-2 record and four Division I-AA national championships.

Some fans and critics thought then athletic director Lou Geiger made a mistake by hiring a I-AA coach to direct a powerhouse program such as Ohio State. Clearly, Tressel proved an ideal choice since he understands the history and heritage of the program.

“Ohio is a very culturally proud state and football is a big part of that. I think it helped that I’d spent a lot of time in the state, had deep roots in the state, had recruited within the state for a long time,” he said. ”It didn’t hurt that I had worked previously at Ohio State.”

Tressel said he loves country music, hot coffee mowing the lawn and cheeseburgers. Nobody associated with Ohio State football signs more autographs or mingles with more fans while he and wife Ellen have donated considerable sums to Thompson Libraries and the James Cancer Center at Ohio State.

“What you see is what you get with Jim Tressel. He is straightforward, honest and genuine,” Ohio State athletic director Eugene Smith said.
OHIO STATE AT GLANCE

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Enrollment: 52,568

Affiliation: Big Ten Conference

Nickname: Buckeyes

Colors: Scarlet and Gray

Head coach: Jim Tressel, 9th year (83-19)

Home field: Ohio Stadium (105,000)

2008 Record: 10-3 overall, 7-1 Big Ten (co-champion)

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