This past Monday America remembered and celebrated the lives of the many men and women who bravely fought and died so that we may enjoy the many freedoms we do today. Ironically enough this past Memorial Day will potentially be remembered by many Ohio State football fans and college football fans in general for all the wrong reasons.
Monday morning, Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel officially announced his resignation from the University amid tremendous scrutiny and allegations that he knowingly withheld vital information of major NCAA violations committed by a number of his players.
The Resignation
In a one page letter to Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith, Jim Tressel was brief and to the point in his resignation. Tressel said he was blessed to work with the finest young men in the nation and that he and his wife Ellen love those young men dearly.
Tressel states that the ongoing situation was a distraction to our great university and I make this decision for the greater good of our school.
In closing, Tressel says that God has a plan for us and we will be fine then says We will be Buckeyes forever.
A PDF copy of Tressel’s resignation letter
Earlier on Monday, the Columbus Post Dispatch obtained a memo that Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee sent to OSU trustees…
“I write to let you know that later this morning we will be announcing the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach of the University’s football program. As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the University and the senior leadership of the Board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted Coach Tressel’s resignation.
“My public statement will include our common understanding that throughout all we do, we are One University with one set of standards and one overarching mission. The University’s enduring public purposes and its tradition of excellence continue to guide our actions,” Gee wrote.
Sources indicate that Tressel was encouraged to resign
The Columbus Post Dispatch also reported Monday that sources told them that Jim Tressel was encouraged to resign after allegations of wrong doings continued to surface over the past few months.
Although University officials would not comment on whether or not Tressel was asked to step down, E. Gordon Gee did appoint a special committee within the past month to assess what kind of damage the football programs mishaps would inflict on the University. This was seen as yet another sign of the impending departure of Jim Tressel.
The Sports Illustrated Report
Monday also marked the day that Sports Illustrated would release an article revealing more information of the wrongdoings at Ohio State under the watch of Jim Tressel. The article by George Dohrmann with David Epstein outlined some information that was already known by the public. However the article also elaborated further on some of these previously known incidents involving Tressel but like it was anticipated the article also revealed new information about the Ohio State football program stretching all the way back to when Tressel took over the team in 2001. It also revealed similar allegations surrounding Tressel when he was a coach at Youngstown State in the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s.
During his days at Youngstown State, SI reported that Tressel set up jobs for players at local businesses where the concept of work was nonexistent.
But there was a seamy underside to the Penguins’ success. In 1988, according to court documents from a jury-tampering trial involving Mickey Monus, a wealthy school trustee and the founder of the Phar-Mor chain of drug stores, Tressel had called Monus about arranging a job for Isaac. The player and the CEO had never met, but Isaac told SI that he had heard of Monus’s “philanthropist-type hand” from two basketball players. At his first meeting with Monus, Isaac received $150. According to the court documents, by the time he left Youngstown State, in 1992, Isaac had collected more than $10,000 in cash and checks from Monus and Monus’s associates and employees.
The article also stated that players’ traffic ticket were also often taken care of by Tressel with his only requirement of the players was for them to write essays on what it means to be a good college athlete.
Tressel’s dirty work was also prevalent during his early days with the Buckeyes. SI.com wrote that Jim Tressel arranged the use of cars for former Buckeye running back Maurice Clarett. Furthermore Clarett stated that Tressel’s older brother Dick arranged lucrative no-show jobs for himself (Clarret) during his time with the team.
A year later, after he left the university, Clarett told ESPN that he wasn’t forthcoming with the NCAA because it would have meant ratting on teammates and coaches. He alleged that Tressel had arranged cars for him to use and that the coach’s older brother Dick, who was then the Buckeyes’ director of football operations (he is now the team’s running backs coach), arranged lucrative no-show jobs for players. (Jim and Dick Tressel have denied the allegations.) Clarett added that coaches connected him with boosters who gave him thousands of dollars.
The NCAA never sanctioned Ohio State for Clarett’s actions however the University did suspend the former running back for the entire 2003 season.
The SI.com article goes on and on with more information that accuses Tressel of rigging raffles so that top prospects would win and having knowledge of his players trading signed memorabilia (some of which included Tressel’s signature) to get marijuana. Furthemore it was also reported by SI.com that as many as 40 current OSU players were involved in selling Ohio State football memorabilia for tattoos, cash and other gifts.
It’s not known whether or not the release of the SI.com article had anything to do with Tressel’s decision or timing of his resignation. However after it’s release it would’ve been extremely difficult for Tressel to continue on as Ohio States coach despite his five game suspension next season.
NCAA investigating Terrelle Pryor independently
In addition to the Tressel news Monday, it was also being reported by the Columbus Post Dispatch that the NCAA would investigate Buckeyes’ QB Terrelle Pryor independently from their investigations on Tressel and the rest of the OSU football program.
It is assumed that the investigation stems from Pryor’s involvement in the memorabilia for tattoos scheme as well as other allegations that he received improper benefits while currently attending the University.
Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch wouldn’t confirm whether Pryor is being investigated.
“The university continues to work with the NCAA as they investigate matters involving our football program, and we will continue to do so until the conclusion of the investigation,” Lynch said. “We are unable to comment on specific players’ situations because of federal law.”
On December 23rd OSU suspended Pryor, running back Daniel Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, lineman Solomon Thomas and tackle Mike Adams for five games this season for their roles in the memorabilia sales to local tattoo parlor owner Edward Rife.
At this point it is unknown if Pryor will return to the University for his senior season.
What next for OSU?
So what’s to become of the Ohio State football program?
Well the self-imposed sanctions at this point seem pretty meaningless since Tressel is gone. I’m sure Ohio State will try to claim that they forced their coach to resign amid the serious allegations (which they probably did) however this will simply suffice.
Ohio State is in for a huge penalty in the next year or two that could involve a post-season bowl ban, the loss of scholarships, diminished practice time, victories and accomplishments erased in the record books and the loss of more coaching jobs.
So is this really a dead program walking? Could they get dreaded NCAA death penalty that pretty much destroyed the Southern Methodist University football program back in the late 1980’s? The amount of violations that Ohio State has accumulated under Tressel have certainly made the program deserving, however it will never be done and the reasons are simple. First, the NCAA said they would never hand down such a penalty ever again AND Ohio State is such a huge money-maker for the NCAA they could ill afford to take the chance of having the Ohio State football program pretty much wiped out.
That however doesn’t mean the NCAA won’t drop the hammer on Ohio State. Keep in mind what the NCAA did to USC after the Reggie Bush incident. USC is a huge cash cow for the NCAA out west and they still managed to punish University pretty severely. However for those out there looking for a lengthy penalty for Ohio State, I wouldn’t hold my breath. Keep in mind it was the NCAA that allowed the five suspended players (including Pryor) to compete in this past Sugar Bowl.
As for Ohio State AD Gene Smith, his days at the OSU are probably numbered as well.
What next for Jim Tressel?
Jim Tressel more than likely is done at the college coaching ranks. Program’s will not be to afford the baggage that Tressel will bring with him to other programs. Also, unlike Peter Carroll, Tressel probably won’t make the jump to the NFL.
Who replaces Tressel at Ohio State?
Even before Tressel’s resignation from Ohio State rumors began swirling on who could take over for him once he did surrender the position. The rumored names include former Florida head coach Urban Meyer, former Tampa Bay Bucs and Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Tony Dungy and Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio.
With Luke Fickell taking over the head coaching ranks for the 2011 season, the program will launch an extensive nationwide search for a new head coach. And despite the negative attention that Ohio State is experiencing right now they are still a marquee name in the college football world and will, for the most part, have the pick of a number of coaches jumping at the opportunity to take the job.
Source: Columbus Post Dispatch, SI.com, ESPN.com, Yahoo Sports
