Report: Jim Tressel Resigns
by LVS on May 30, 2011 8:32 AM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans Football
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PrintSlightly off-topic, but stories of this magnitude belong on the front page:
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has resigned, university sources told The Dispatch today.
Less than three months after President E. Gordon Gee and Athletic Director Gene Smith said they fully supported their embattled coach, mounting pressure, a pending NCAA disciplinary hearing and new revelations about the culture of the program forced the university to act on their once-revered coach, sources said.
Neither Gee, Smith nor Tressel could be reached immediately for comment.
Sources said assistant coach Luke Fickell, who had been named to coach the first five games of the season while Tressel served his suspension for withholding information from the university compliance office and the NCAA, will serve as interim coach of the Buckeyes all of next season.
Tressel's Ohio State teams utterly dominated the Big Ten in the last decade, winning seven conference titles and a national championship, and garnering eight BCS bids. MSU teams are 0-6 against Tressel; only one of those games was truly competitive, and the 2005 and 2008 debacles mark two of the lower points in recent Spartan history. Tressel's departure is unequivocally good news for Michigan State football.
Mark Dantonio, a Tressel protege and former Buckeye defensive coordinator, may be mentioned as a candidate for the OSU job -- and were he offered, he'd take it in a heartbeat. However, OSU is one of the top 3 or 4 jobs in all of college football; even given looming NCAA sanctions, the Buckeyes will have their choice of more accomplished candidates.
Either way, this may mark something of a conference-wide reboot. Tressel's Buckeye squads may have faltered periodically on the national stage, but his record in the conference was staggeringly good. No matter who Ohio State hires, matching Tressel's Big Ten record will be enormously difficult, and exceeding it nearly impossible. Let the new age of Big Ten parity begin.
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ESPN reporting candidates.
ESPN’s Bruce Feldman is reporting that Dantonio is a candidate along with Bo Pelini, Gary Patterson, Bob Stoops and the front runner Urban Meyer.
I doubt they look to Coach D.
Much as we all love him, they’re looking for a huge name. That name will likely be Meyer or Stoops.
From your lips to Gods ears!
I agree with the logic, but isn’t that where so many other programs started off before hiring someone like Brady Hoke?
I heard it was the less famous Stoops brother.
Those programs weren't Ohio State.
That program is a monster. And they’ll shake this off and roar right back.
Don't be so sure.
If half of what they said in the SI article (to say nothing of the other rumors swirling about) is true, they’re looking at absolutely crippling sanctions, stuff that will make the hammer USC took look like a slap on the wrist. USC had one guy on the take from an agent, and they tried very hard not to notice; OSU apparently had dozens getting benefits from people more closely associated with the program (the car dealer may well fit the definition of “booster”) and tried to sweep it under the rug when they found out, then outright lied to the NCAA about it. This sounds like it’s Fab Five territory at best, maybe not quite SMU-level but not far from it either at worst.
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Unlikely. Here's what you've got.
1. A lying coach who is gone.
2. Ineligible players who have already been punished.
3. A car “scandal” that has already been largely refuted.
Sorry, it’s not even Fab Five level. You don’t have:
1. Cash payments to the players from the University or a Booster
2. A single recruiting violation
3. Academic fraud
SMU? Please. They had an actual payroll, were punished, and did it again. This isn’t in the same solar system as SMU.
People are going way around the bend on this, and the SI article was garbage that included coaching gossip and numerous unnamed sources as backup.
This isn’t even USC level. USC included the basketball coach directly giving OJ Mayo money.
Don’t mean to quibble, but I think you’ve drunk the Kool-Aid on this a bit. Unless a lot more is proven, this isn’t that bad. And it’s not even close to SMU, who kept doing the same things over and over despite the NCAA telling them to stop.
Take another look.
The Columbus local paper is reporting that 44 athletes (not necessarily all football, but I’d bet good money they make up a decent chunk of that) were driving unregistered cars, nine were given traffic tickets while driving cars with dealer plates (they usually won’t even let you off the lot with those unless you’ve got a sales guy in the car for the test drive), registration forms filed with the compliance department were often incomplete or disagreed with those filed with university parking – and the last has been going on since a 2006 audit.
If that doesn’t equate to massive improper benefits and lack of institutional control, I’ll eat my hat. It’s not quite SMU, but it’s way past USC (let’s not forget the history here, Troy Smith took cash from a booster and they fired a basketball coach for paying a player before Matta; whatever this is, “isolated” is about as opposite as you can get).
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Still not close to SMU.
That was the biggest scandal in NCAA history, followed by that of our pals in Ann Arbor. Need a lot more proof and a much higher dollar amount to reach that level.
by rook34 on Jun 4, 2011 11:49 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
So long, Vest.
The NCAA letter was all aimed at Tressel and he’s gone. The car thing is all innuendo and is nearly impossible to prove. OSU will get some penalties but those hoping for something close to the death penalty will be disappointed.
Meyer will likely pass. I would guess that Bob Stoops, after making a run with possibly his best-ever Oklahoma team this season, is the next coach at Ohio State.
I think OU to OSU is a lateral move at this point.
by SpartanBoiler on May 30, 2011 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Why so confident on Dantonio, LVS?
I’ve always said that OSU is the one job I would completely understand Dantonio taking but I’ve never heard anything to suggest that his acceptance would be a slam dunk.
"And how much are intangibles worth? 10%? 20%?" - kj@theonlycolors
Coach D's age and health are likely roadblocks to his being a coach of interest.
He won’t be approached unless the top tier of candidates all pass on the job.
OSU will swing for the fences here, including candidates from the NFL is Meyer and Stoops pass.
Top tier might not be available
If OSU gets hit with a multi-year bowl ban and scholarship reductions, as it is fair to expect they might, it could be difficult to get the creme de la creme to bite. Urban Meyer would still be at Florida if he were planning to consider offers so soon, and if you were Bob Stoops, would you really leave a resurgent OU team for a sinking ship at OSU? I still think that in the next year they can find a bigger name than Dantonio, but depending on the severity of their punishment, it is definitely within the realm of possibility.
On the positive side though, this should help open up recruiting in the state of Ohio for the 2012 class. Lets hope we can land some of the inevitable recruiting refugees in East Lansing.
Why does everyone think there's going to be a huge NCAA hit?
1. The letter was aimed entirely at Tressel. He is no longer around.
2. What do you have right now? A lying coach, some ineligible players for last season, and a bunch of nonsense about a car dealer that’s been largely debunked. Short of academic fraud, outright cash payments, or recruiting violations, you’re not going to see an enormous NCAA penalty here. Something else could come out, but as of now, the lying is the big deal here. Not the actual misdeeds.
A lot of people are saying...
… that the reason JT resigned today is that an SI article is about to drop tonight or tomorrow morning that is going to reveal a lot more. Here is the tweet from espn’s schadjoe:
“RT @darrenrovell: SI’s @georgedohrmann says timing of Tressel’s resignation “will make sense after you read” his story being posted late …"
Meh.
The article was largely a rehash. Embarassing amount of “unnamed sources” from a Pulitzer winner.
Smells like a rush job. There just wasn’t much new there, and that which is new was largely unsubstantiated.
Agree
I would guess he was working on the story hoping that OSU would continue to obstinately stand by Tressel and then in a month or two right as football was getting ready to start back up they have a much fuller story. That would make more sense.
Almost all of what Dohrmann chronicled had been reported previously. I can remember cracking Clarett and Troy Smith cheating jokes with by buddies in college. (We didn’t have much else to crack jokes about while OSU was obliterating us every year). So really, I think the big question that only really gets hinted at is why is it that the OSU administration and or the NCAA never appeared to seriously investigate the guy and the program? OSU had an obvious interest in looking the other way to protect its money making machine of a football program. But the NCAA? And really, the media should get some blame too.
There has been an awful lot of smoke surrounding Tressel for a long time and nobody has ever bothered to even open a door and see if the House is on fire. That should have been the story more than the “revelations” in the article.
by trivialstuff16 on May 31, 2011 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions
If the job wasn't attached to major sanctions
I might be more inclined to think he would leave, but let’s not forget that Dantonio has a history at MSU that predates his time at OSU and that he already knows he can win at MSU.
Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude
OSU Recruits
Does anyone know since Tressel resigned if OSU’s 2011 recruits will be released from their LOI’s?
Thanks for not piling on
You are far classier than the people in ann arbor! It’s a sad day in Buckeye Nation, but we will continue reveling with you in beating the living hell out of that school up north. Good luck on a great season!
Please do
Your program is a classy orginization run by a great coach! There is a Tressel on your staff too. The people in ann arbor are so glad they have a “%ichigan man” at the helm. Remember the last time they had one of their own as a coach? That’s right, Appalachian St beat them at home..lol Best wishes to a class group of fans!
thanks...remember thats the only way UM beats OSU and Tressel..if the coach leaves
plus he made a grave mistake and paid for it…it does not diminish his coaching abilities
by spartynation on May 30, 2011 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
how?
how did u actually like tressel josh. Anyways no surprise here and I have no doubts that Matta is involved in similar things as tressel, hopefully they catch his cheating ass to.
Tressel did a lot of good things, too.
OSU’s graduation rate, which was in the toilet, went up in a big way. He did a lot of great charitable work. Sure, that can be used to enhance one’s reputation, but it still is good for the people who are helped.
There’s been a major rush to judgment here. There have been no allegations of academic fraud. No SMU-type payroll. Not a recruiting violation to be found as of today. To write Tressel off as a bum is short-sighted, easy, and incomplete.
Matta has never been surrounded by smoke at Butler, Xavier, or OSU. While there’s always the possibility for an overzealous fan to give a kid money, I don’t think you’re going to find some massive scandal with the OSU basketball program, especially since the O’Brien issues of a few years ago.
tressel
so you honestly dont think there were recruiting violations at OSU. And while there is no proof i am fairly confident matta is in some way cheating. That program got built overnight and all of a sudden they are getting top 5 players yearly. I am hoping that the NCAA does a full probe of OSU sports and busts him. Also has anyone seen Delvon Roe’s tweets on the matter, fairly interesting i would recommend checking them out.
Wow. Tinfoil hats much?
Matta is a good coach who knows what kind of strategy and program he wants to run. He’s proven successful. He’s not slime like Calipari who gets violations regularly thrown at every program he touches.
Pound, Green! Pound!
by The Ghost of John Hannah on Jun 1, 2011 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions
???
Not at all the only one that questions Matta, a very shady guy and he is pretty classless. Do you recall him going up to beilein after the turner halfcourter and yelling “count it mother ….” you can youtube that shot if you dont believe me. And i said there is no proof i am at least aloud to speculate im a fan not a legitimate news source.
Had to happen
When the tattoo stuff first came out and Tressel professed his ignorance, I assumed he was lying his butt off. There are too many eyes trained on OSU football players in that state, and too many people eager to curry favor with the coach by sharing anything and everything. The God of Columbus can’t ever plead ignorance. Yet Tressel seemed like a pretty good guy.
Dantonio (or the ever-mentioned Kirk Ferentz) could easily be a top candidate, IMHO, if a strong season proves his health is OK. Like U-M, OSU is insular and wants a Big Ten man who doesn’t act as if he’s bigger than the job. They believe the program makes the coach, and unlike U-M they have solid evidence for believing it.
Yeah but what is the likelihood
Of a B1G school poaching another’s head coach? I think it’s pretty unlikely – kind of like is MSU were to grab Crean as HC upon Izzo retirement. I just don’t see it happening.
crean
in all honesty crean may not still be at IU if he does not get something done this year he may not be around to long. IU wont accept last in B10 3 straight years. He has had great classes but he has to do something with them or hes gone.
When you start with one returning player
and that was a walk-on who played sparingly, you deserve a little bit of leeway early on. You don’t rebuild from that in two years.
Patience is probably running thin over there, but I wouldn’t think his job would be in any serious danger this year. Next, perhaps.
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Why is everyone so sure?
It seems the general sentiment, as stated by lvs, is: “If offered the OSU job, Dantonio would jump in a heartbeat.”
I don’t agree with that statement at all. Is OSU a “better” job than MSU? Yes. Coaches turn down better jobs all the time. Not everyone is a Nick Saban. By all accouns Dantonio loves it at MSU. At his age, does he want to leave a place where he is firmly entrenched and has started, but far from completed, a revival only to start over new at OSU?
People always cite Dantonio’s ties to Tressel/OSU as reason he’d like to go back. His comment after leaving Cinnci was that OSU and MSU were the only jobs he’d leave for. What people forget is, Dantonio only spent 3 years at OSU. He was an assistant at MSU for 6 years prior to that. Add in his 4 years as head coach and Dantonio has been at MSU for 10 years.
I’m not saying Dantonio would turn the job down if offered. I’m saying the chances of him accepting would be no higher than 50. I’d personally put them somewhere around 35.
Good points
I too am suspect the coach D would leave. MSU has a few things working for it. First off, who wants to leave a program that went to 4 straight bowls (with a legitimate chance at Rose this year) for aschool that will probably be banned for 2 or 3 postseason bowls. Chances are this will start in 2012 because there is no way this wraps up before the start of the 2011 season. Secondly, the pressure to win at OSU is much higher than MSU. I wish it weren’t, but it just is. That’s a lot of extra stress for a guy who has recent heart problems. There are plenty of things like competing against the program that you built, and watching someone else take the reigns and get credit a la Brian Gregory that make me believe he wouldn’t leave. However, the overwhelming factor that I think Dantonio would stay even if offered is this; For my money, Mark Hollis is the best athletic director in the country. He does his very best to promote the program with unique opportunities and maintains phenomenal relationships with all of the coaches, not just Izzo and Dantonio. When you have a boss that puts you into a position to succeed, you are far better off than a boss that just wants to play puppet master.
OSU is probably a better job. It’s much higher profile, it’s easier to recruit, it has a history of winning that we haven’t had in 50 years . The fans there are supportive (like a jockstrap) and would most definitely pay more money. He’d also be the number 1 on that campus immediately, where here, he’ll always compete to be the big name so long as Izzo is on campus. But is all of that really worth what he has here? I don’t think so.
ESPN reports that Fickell will coach through the upcoming season...
…and OSU will not hire a long-term coach until after this season. So, looks like we get at least 1 more season of Coach D before OSU tries to take him
/nervous chuckle
//no seriously Buckeyes- hands off!
Kill, Bubba, Kill!
I refuse to accept the idea that Dantonio would drop everything and come running if the Bucks call for him
Sure, he and Tressel are friends. They’ve worked together, Dantonio was his DC for the ‘02 championship team, and all that good stuff. But we’re talking about a coach who has preached about “keeping it in the family” like there’s no tomorrow. Almost every single one of his staff replacements have come within. He’s worked with some of the same people since the late 80’s. Based on this, it’s logical to think he’d stick with that were an offer sent his way.
Now, do you REALLY think the OSU athletic department is going to be okay with Dantonio coming in and replacing all of Tressel’s award-winning staff with his own? I don’t think so. If Dantonio gets an offer, he’ll have to take it and leave his staff behind. I just don’t see that happening.
"TOUGHEST PLACES TO PLAY: Minnesota can't find the end zone in their own stadium." - NCAA Football 2010
by The Ghost of John Hannah on May 31, 2011 11:38 AM CDT reply actions
I think Dantonio's a great coach
And we’d be lucky to get him. But I don’t think it would ever happen for one reason… Dantonio and Tressel are very good friends. I think Dantonio would consider it a betrayal to Tressel if he were to take the job.
He’s just too classy of a guy to do that.
by NC_Buckeye on May 31, 2011 10:13 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
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