After 10 years in Columbus, “The Vest” is leaving the Buckeyes.
Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel, who guided the team to three national championships and one title, announced his resignation in a letter to athletic director Gene Smith yesterday morning.
“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. “The recent situation has been a distraction for our great university and I make this decision for the greater good of our school.”
Luke Fickell, already slated to coach the Buckeyes for the first five games of the year, will take over as interim coach for the 2011 season.
Tressel’s resignation comes almost three months after Ohio State suspended him fives games for failing to tell the school that five student-athletes received improper benefits from the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor.
The five players, which included star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were also suspended for the first five games of the season and were ordered to repay the money and benefits. Tressel was fined $250,000 by Ohio State.
Though the school expressed disappointment in Tressel’s actions in March, Ohio State’s president E. Gordon Gee said Tressel’s job was safe.
“I’m just hopeful the coach doesn’t dismiss me,” Gee said.
Tressel and Ohio State were set to appear before the NCAA’s infractions committee Aug. 12. Among the expected topics of conversation was why Tressel denied knowing the players received improper benefits, despite emails showing he’d known since April 2010.
Reactions from OU students were mixed. Many, like graduate student Helen Marr, thought it was only a matter of time before Tressel was fired.
Marr said she’d met Tressel because she played volleyball against his daughter and he spoke at her high school graduation.
“I think it’s important to remember that even nice guys make mistakes,” Marr said. “I’m sure that there are several other teams that are also doing things but getting away with it. Now all the skeletons are coming out of the closet.”
Sophomore Scott Jackson, whose father is a big OSU fan from Columbus, said he was not surprised Tressel resigned.
“Honestly, I think he deserves it for lying to the NCAA,” Jackson said. “I think if it happened to any other coach, it’d be the same way. I think if it had went on any longer, he would have been fired.”
Sophomore Matt Kvalheim held a similar sentiment.
“I don’t think it’s fair for him to be above the rules,” he said. “He was going to get fired either way. One way or the other, he’d be out of there.”
Some students with roots in Columbus were more forgiving. Sophomore Raquel Harrah, whose sister goes to OSU, said she will miss Tressel and his trademark sweater vests.
“I just think it’s really sad,” Harrah said. “I don’t think any of this scandal reflects on Jim Tressel as a coach. I think he was a great coach. He’s really perfected the team. (OSU) kind of has a bleak future right now.”
Tressel said he and his wife appreciated all that Buckeye Nation gave them.
“We know that God has a plan for us and we will be fine,” Tressel wrote in his resignation letter. “We will be Buckeyes forever.”
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