Jim Tressel, who guided Ohio State to its first national title in 34 years, resigned yesterday amid NCAA violations from a tattoo-parlor scandal that sullied the image of one of the country’s top football programs. “After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach,” Tressel wrote in the resignation letter he submitted yesterday morning.
Jim Tressel, who guided Ohio State to its first national title in 34 years, resigned yesterday amid NCAA violations from a tattoo-parlor scandal that sullied the image of one of the country’s top football programs.
Luke Fickell will be the coach for the 2011 season. He already had been selected to be the interim coach while Tressel served a five-game suspension.
Under terms of Tressel’s contract, which was worth around $3.5 million a year through the 2014 season, Ohio State is not required to pay him any money or provide any benefits upon his resignation.
In a university video posted on YouTube.com, Smith said Tressel met with his Buckeyes players yesterday morning.
Clearly, the turmoil had been building. The resignation comes nearly three months after Ohio State called a news conference to announce it has suspended Tressel for two games — later increasing the ban to five games to coincide with the players’ punishment — and fined him $250,000 for knowing his players had received improper benefits from a local tattoo-parlor owner. The school said at the time it was “very surprised and disappointed” in Tressel. Yet, the school still managed to crack jokes.
Tressel’s downfall came with public and media pressure mounting on Ohio State, its board of trustees, Gee and Smith.
Tressel and Ohio State were to go before the NCAA’s infractions committee Aug. 12 to answer questions about the player violations and why Tressel did not report them. He denied knowledge of improper benefits to players until confronted by investigators with e-mails that showed he had known since April 2010.
After several NCAA violations by him or his players over the years, Tressel’s problems deepened after learning several players received cash or discounted tattoos. Contrary to NCAA bylaws — and his own contract — Tressel received e-mails from a former player about this and did not tell his athletic director, university president, compliance or legal departments or the NCAA for more than nine months.
The 58-year-old Tressel had a record of 106-22 at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to eight Bowl Championship Series games in his 10 years. Combined with a 135-57-2 record in 15 years at Youngstown State, where he won four Division 1-AA national championships, Tressel’s career mark is 241-79-2.
The author of two books about faith and integrity, he remains a scapegoat to many and a hypocrite to others.
Even though he has many backers, a rising chorus of detractors had stepped forward during the ongoing NCAA investigation. There were also questions about his players and their friends and family members receiving special deals on used cars from two Columbus dealers.
But at one time, his image was that of an honest, religious man who never said or did anything without thinking it through first. His nickname was “The Senator” for never having a hair out of place, praising opponents, and seldom giving a clear answer to even the simplest questions.
He’d gotten into trouble with the NCAA even before coming to Ohio State. He was the coach at Youngstown State when it received scholarship and recruiting restrictions for violations involving star quarterback Ray Isaacs.
Still, Andy Geiger, then Ohio State’s athletic director, favored Tressel over Minnesota coach and former Buckeyes linebacker Glen Mason for the job after John Cooper was fired in January 2001.
Also yesterday, The Columbus Dispatch reported that Pryor is the subject of a “significant” inquiry by the NCAA and Ohio State regarding cars and other improper benefits he may have received.
They had sold memorabilia such as championship rings, uniforms and — in the case of Pryor — a Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award, for cash or discounted tattoos at a Columbus parlor. The violations came to light in a U.S. Attorney investigation into drug trafficking involving the owner of the parlor, Edward Rife. When federal agents raided his home and the parlor, they came across hundreds of signed Ohio State items.