Jim Tressel on staff??

[Blue & Gold]

There's too many people posting these hints! We need to hear some specifics haha I'm interested in some of these theories. Obviously they are just based on opinions of what may happen, but I'm curious of what all of this has the potential to become.

Most of the inferences being tossed around are veiled references to joining the Big East. Or at least a move to Conference USA.

[Blue & Gold]

I would think the best scenario for UA would be a new arena and conference upgrade. But sadly these are both "athletic" goals, while I feel that he will be more focused on the academic side of things due to his restrictions. Honestly I would love to see UA at least try to appeal the NCAA ruling. I'm not sure if it's even possible to do so, but I feel that even an attempt couldn't hurt since the upside would open up a whole new dimension of possibilities. I know he mentioned the arena, but will the NCAA give us a hard time about that too? since technically it is associated with athletics.

Perhaps if the arena is labeled a multi-purpose facility, which it will be, we won't have any trouble?

[g-mann17]

Perhaps if the arena is labeled a multi-purpose facility, which it will be, we won't have any trouble?

To build on that, if the arena is a joint project paid through community support (government and coprorate partnerships) it is built outside of the University of Akron Department of Athletics.

There are quite a few loop holes. For instance ESPN talked to the NCAA and an official stated "he could not have direct contact with any recruit, could not go to their house, could not represent the athletic department; however, any recruit on an official visit can visit him in his office on campus as he is a University Administrator."

I'm not suggesting secret recruiting, just pointing out how they view the position. As long as he is not a representative of the NCAA sanctioned Athletic Department he can do pretty much anything he wants from a fundraising/community involvement/student recruiting standpoint.

[Dr Z]

Source

In his new position, Tressel, who said he has no interest in coaching in the NFL, will work with Akron's students, alumni and community organizations on a variety of issues. Although he's not officially on the clock, Tressel met with student leaders before the news conference, telling them he was committed to using his Northeast Ohio connections to build relationships between the school and community.

Must have been a different guy interviewing for the Colts job twice???

[Dave in Green]

..... There are quite a few loop holes. For instance ESPN talked to the NCAA and an official stated "he could not have direct contact with any recruit, could not go to their house, could not represent the athletic department; however, any recruit on an official visit can visit him in his office on campus as he is a University Administrator." .....

If true, this is more than expected. It means that Terry Bowden can visit recruits at home, bring them on campus for a visit, and spend a few minutes with the recruits in Jim Tressel's office. How much is it worth to Zips football recruiting to be able to have recruits sit in an office discussing college football with Terry Bowden and Jim Tressel?

[skip-zip]

If true, this is more than expected. It means that Terry Bowden can visit recruits at home, bring them on campus for a visit, and spend a few minutes with the recruits in Jim Tressel's office. How much is it worth to Zips football recruiting to be able to have recruits sit in an office discussing college football with Terry Bowden and Jim Tressel?

Even if Tressel can raise our profile, I still want him as far away from having anything to do with the wellbeing of student/athletes as possible.

[NewZipsFan]

Even if Tressel can raise our profile, I still want him as far away from having anything to do with the wellbeing of student/athletes as possible.

I'm going to agree with this. As a new zips fan, I don't have the "love" for JT that many in Ohio do. I'm not saying I don't like him - I've never met him. But in the wake of the NCAA violations, it is only common sense to keep him far, far away from athletics. Personally, the only real issue I have with Tressel is the fact that he lied about knowing about what his players had done. The selling of their own memorabilia, in my opinion, is very low on the violations totem poll. But once it came to light, I just wish (as I am sure he does now also) JT had told the truth. Everyone makes mistakes in judgement, and as long as we don't repeat those mistakes, they can be worthwhile life lessons .

So, in conclusion (lol) I hope JT raises millions and millions of dollars for the University, and has the positive impact so many people believe he will. I have complete faith in the President of this great university.

[Blue & Gold]

I'm going to agree with this. As a new zips fan, I don't have the "love" for JT that many in Ohio do. I'm not saying I don't like him - I've never met him. But in the wake of the NCAA violations, it is only common sense to keep him far, far away from athletics. Personally, the only real issue I have with Tressel is the fact that he lied about knowing about what his players had done. The selling of their own memorabilia, in my opinion, is very low on the violations totem poll. But once it came to light, I just wish (as I am sure he does now also) JT had told the truth. Everyone makes mistakes in judgement, and as long as we don't repeat those mistakes, they can be worthwhile life lessons .

So, in conclusion (lol) I hope JT raises millions and millions of dollars for the University, and has the positive impact so many people believe he will. I have complete faith in the President of this great university.

Exactly.

Coach Terry Bowden, on top of already being one of the single most recognizable college coaches in the entire nation, now has even more of an embarrassment of riches at this university. The campus, the fieldhouse, the stadium. And now Jim Tressel. Coach Bowden has the luxury of simply utilizing JT like an ace up his sleave; just pull him out on occasion to impress some upper echelon Ohio recruits. (I don't know if any out-of-state recruits would really care much about meeting JT?)

[Captain Kangaroo]

Personally, I have a concern that Tressel's presence overshadows, or detracts from some of the excellent coaches we have on-campus.

The Tressel hire could be a great thing. If the guy gets us a windfall of donations that get us a hoops arena, a new conference, a dramatically-improved national visibility...great. If it's like the Celtics, with Pierce, Allen and Garnett, great. But if it's like Melo and Stoudemire...big names...no results...I'll pass.

Proenza wants UA to be a 49,000 student University in 10 years. To get there, we certainly need to think bigger than ever before on all fronts. Hopefully Proenza realized that they need some out-of-house new blood and expertise to get there. On paper, Tressel should be that combination.

[Zip Watcher]

Exactly.

Coach Terry Bowden, on top of already being one of the single most recognizable college coaches in the entire nation, now has even more of an embarrassment of riches at this university. The campus, the fieldhouse, the stadium. And now Jim Tressel. Coach Bowden has the luxury of simply utilizing JT like an ace up his sleave; just pull him out on occasion to impress some upper echelon Ohio recruits. (I don't know if any out-of-state recruits would really care much about meeting JT?)

I think Coach Bowden should be left to be successful on his own. He doesn't need to parade recruits by JT's office across campus. Bowden can and will sell recruits himself on the merits of the program, the facilities, the staff, and the education. It's enough, and I'm pretty confident he'll be successful without resorting to name dropping or hand shaking w/ JT.

I think JT's been brought here for much bigger picture things than a few recruits here and there. A bunch of it is development ($$$), and a bunch is probably selling Proenza's vision to the students and community. If JT being around UA helps FB attendance, everybody wins. But Terry Bowden doesn't need to pull JT into ANY FB items. I'm confident that he and Chuck are up to the tasks well enough by themselves.

I will echo someone else's comments yesterday that the timing of this seems odd to me. Not necessarily bad, just odd. George Thomas was on a roll with the recruiting coverage and Bowden / Amato. It could have kept the news cycle for the rest of the week on its own. Travel schedules must have been a component of this. Otherwise, don't you space this kind of publicity out to maximize its impact?

When TB was hired, I expressed some reservations that we attend to the needs of our other programs and not just go all in for FB to pay for the stadium. Mostly, I meant the hoops facilities. Depending on how the JT thing works out, this could end up being a great move by LP to help accomplish that very thing. Keep JT where they're saying he will be, with the students and in and around the community. He's great at that stuff .. and he can help us take care of KD & hoops in a fiscally responsible fashion. A rising tide lifts all boats. I continue to hope that TB & staff raise FB .. and JT helps really bring UA over the top in other ways apart from the gridiron.

Interesting times.

B)

Go Zips

[NewZipsFan]

I think Coach Bowden should be left to be successful on his own. He doesn't need to parade recruits by JT's office across campus. Bowden can and will sell recruits himself on the merits of the program, the facilities, the staff, and the education. It's enough, and I'm pretty confident he'll be successful without resorting to name dropping or hand shaking w/ JT.

I think JT's been brought here for much bigger picture things than a few recruits here and there. A bunch of it is development ($$$), and a bunch is probably selling Proenza's vision to the students and community. If JT being around UA helps FB attendance, everybody wins. But Terry Bowden doesn't need to pull JT into ANY FB items. I'm confident that he and Chuck are up to the tasks well enough by themselves.

I will echo someone else's comments yesterday that the timing of this seems odd to me. Not necessarily bad, just odd. George Thomas was on a roll with the recruiting coverage and Bowden / Amato. It could have kept the news cycle for the rest of the week on its own. Travel schedules must have been a component of this. Otherwise, don't you space this kind of publicity out to maximize its impact?

When TB was hired, I expressed some reservations that we attend to the needs of our other programs and not just go all in for FB to pay for the stadium. Mostly, I meant the hoops facilities. Depending on how the JT thing works out, this could end up being a great move by LP to help accomplish that very thing. Keep JT where they're saying he will be, with the students and in and around the community. He's great at that stuff .. and he can help us take care of KD & hoops in a fiscally responsible fashion. A rising tide lifts all boats. I continue to hope that TB & staff raise FB .. and JT helps really bring UA over the top in other ways apart from the gridiron.

Interesting times.

B)

Go Zips

The thing we don't have to worry about is Coach Bowden being "intimidated" by JTs presence. Not only being "Terry Bowden" but also being Bobby Bowden's son, there arent many people in the college football world (if any) that Coach Bowden wouldnt be comfortable around They have known each other for close to 30 years - going back to the Samford/Youngstown State days (maybe earlier?). I am sure there is a strong mutual professional respect between them. With all of the success that JT has had, he would understand as much as anyone, that the head football coach must have a certain amount of autonomy over his staff, team, etc. I am confident that only good can come out of this.

[johnnyzip84]

I've purposely waited a while to let this news sink in a little before commenting. I've been clear in the past regarding my lack of enthusiasm for anything OSU-related and that certainly includes Tressel. And my problems with him go back well before his time spent in Columbus. The names of Ray Isaac amd Mickey Monus will forever be connected with my thoughts on JT.

Having said this, EVEN I have to be impressed with the audacity and "out-of-the-box" thinking involved in LP's decision to bring JT aboard in this capacity. Think about the dire financial situation we all lamented as the 2011 football season dragged along. Many of us wondered how in the world the debt payments for the Info could be met over the long haul. Now fast forward to the hiring of Coach Bowden and more recently JT. Why not tap into JT's nearly unsurpassed popularity among the locals when trying to re-brand UA and its athletic programs? I might feel a little dirty in the morning, but as long as the school and community that I love benefit in the end, I think I can live with myself.

As long as everyone understands their role, the players on this super-team will likely not only erase any fears about Info solvency, but also lead hoops into a truly new era. The entire athletic department, including Porter's incredible Men's soccer program, could very well benefit from a possible conference shift or alteration made possible by this "think big" approach. Like ZW said, "interesting times" for sure.

I also wonder how much involvement, if any, JT will have with the University Park Alliance. If the new hoops arena is truly one of his 1st priorities, then I'm sure this will be the case. I can't wait to see what other transformations that may take place. Go Zips! Go Akron!

[xu9697]

I also wonder how much involvement, if any, JT will have with the University Park Alliance. If the new hoops arena is truly one of his 1st priorities, then I'm sure this will be the case. I can't wait to see what other transformations that may take place. Go Zips! Go Akron!

I think this is part of the key. I think his role will be many layered, but I think a big part of it will be getting Akron the arena and perhaps other buildings, development, etc.

I get the issues some have with JT. I hold him in high regard, maybe partially b/c of his Dad and b/c my uncle played for his Dad at BW. I truly think he CAN separate sports/coaching and focus on "coaching" young people..while using his name, clout and speaking ability to bring in the dough. I think he has made mistakes and cut corners in some areas...partially b/c he cared about the kids (truly) and partially b/c he is a fierce competitor who got caught up in "the game" just a bit too much.

[GP1]

The Tressel hire could be a great thing..... a dramatically-improved national visibility...great.

We are already getting national attention. Below is part of the first sentence in the USA Today article about this issue. Is this really what we are looking for?

"Jim Tressel, forced to resign as coach in disgrace last May amid a cash-for-tattoos scandal at Ohio State that toppled the football powerhouse"

This is what the rest of the country thinks about our hire when they think of him. So, a few things could be going on. One could be, everyone in Ohio is stupid and can't see what the rest of the world does.. A second could be, everyone in Ohio has figured it out and this will be a bad hire because he is yesterdays news already. Third could be Tressel is coming here for a one to two years until he finds something he really wants to do and makes him the income he is used to making.

Everyday Should Be Saturday had its own spin on the situation. Sort of makes us look pathetic.

My opinion is we are paying Tressel $200K for the use of his name for as long as we can keep him. Others will do most of the hard lifting for him in terms of setting up his schedule with donors and then just have him sit at lunches and dinners telling football stories. I don't believe he will find that life challenging enough to keep him around. In the end, we won't look pathetic, but we will look desperate.

[johnnyzip84]

My opinion is we are paying Tressel $200K for the use of his name for as long as we can keep him. Others will do most of the hard lifting for him in terms of setting up his schedule with donors and then just have him sit at lunches and dinners telling football stories. I don't believe he will find that life challenging enough to keep him around. In the end, we won't look pathetic, but we will look desperate.

I completely agree that there is an element of deperation with this hire. But I think, in the end, the situation will have been proven to warrant it. The dual forces of conference realignment and Zip football apathy (near empty Info) conspired to frighten LP into considering all options. You know what they say about desperate times and desperate measures.

[NewZipsFan]

We are already getting national attention. Below is part of the first sentence in the USA Today article about this issue. Is this really what we are looking for?

"Jim Tressel, forced to resign as coach in disgrace last May amid a cash-for-tattoos scandal at Ohio State that toppled the football powerhouse"

This is what the rest of the country thinks about our hire when they think of him. So, a few things could be going on. One could be, everyone in Ohio is stupid and can't see what the rest of the world does.. A second could be, everyone in Ohio has figured it out and this will be a bad hire because he is yesterdays news already. Third could be Tressel is coming here for a one to two years until he finds something he really wants to do and makes him the income he is used to making.

Everyday Should Be Saturday had its own spin on the situation. Sort of makes us look pathetic.

My opinion is we are paying Tressel $200K for the use of his name for as long as we can keep him. Others will do most of the hard lifting for him in terms of setting up his schedule with donors and then just have him sit at lunches and dinners telling football stories. I don't believe he will find that life challenging enough to keep him around. In the end, we won't look pathetic, but we will look desperate.

You just have to love writers . "Toppled the football powerhouse"??? Really? Seems to me Urban landed a pretty dadgum good recruiting class - while Penn State struggled. Tattoo-gate is so minor in comparison to PSUs seeming lack of institutional control over many, many years that it's almost embarrassing for me to put the two in the same sentence. Now that JoePa has passed away, which is very sad, there will be a reprieve from the media for a while. But when the NCAAs investigation is complete I believe all of the wins from 2002 forward will be vacated. What happened at OSU is not even in the same universe.

The media also has a very short memory. Those headlines/stories will be long forgotten in a few weeks/months.

[xu9697]

So it is ok to lie and cover up information to your employer and you still can get hired for a job? People like myself are still looking for a permanent job and Tressel gets hired. I'm just getting by with a part-time job and an internship here and there and a guy like Tressel gets a job. There are more decent people out there who would love a job like this and this jerk gets one. If this is where we are going of hiring people like Tressel then we're screwed as a society. My family threatened withdrawing support from UA with this news and I had to calm them down. It still doesn't sit well with me.

Did you call Bull and the Fox last night? If not, you sound similar to the guy that called saying that this job would typically pay $60-70,000.

Still plenty of good jobs available at UA if you go to there site, including some in fundraising/financial aid (student engagment) amongst others:

http://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/employment/job_openings/

http://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/employment/job_openings/

BTW...I mean this sincerely. Not meant to be negative.

[skip-zip]

You just have to love writers . "Toppled the football powerhouse"??? Really? Seems to me Urban landed a pretty dadgum good recruiting class - while Penn State struggled. Tattoo-gate is so minor in comparison to PSUs seeming lack of institutional control over many, many years that it's almost embarrassing for me to put the two in the same sentence. Now that JoePa has passed away, which is very sad, there will be a reprieve from the media for a while. But when the NCAAs investigation is complete I believe all of the wins from 2002 forward will be vacated. What happened at OSU is not even in the same universe.

The media also has a very short memory. Those headlines/stories will be long forgotten in a few weeks/months.

Lets make one thing very clear here about JoePa and JT. Although what happened at OSWho and Penn State were much different, JoePa reported it to his superiors. JT, on the other hand, swept it under the rug, was eventually caught red handed, and continued to deny its existence until there was no other option.

[ZachTheZip]

This is part of an all-out push by president Proenza to not be left behind when the power schools split away from the NCAA. He understands what athletics can do for a school's academic reputation. Like it or not, unless you're in the Ivy League, you need high-profile athletics to keep yourself relevant in the minds of prospective students and local benefactors.

Also, if you have reservations about Tressel, just remember that he is a smart man. He knows that everyone, from the NCAA to the local and national media, will be watching him like a hawk. He took the job to rebuild his reputation and image. He won't do anything to jeopardize his chances at being hired as a head coach somewhere in the next few years. Every BCS school with a head coach opening will be calling him next season.

[g-mann17]

Lets make one thing very clear here about JoePa and JT. Although what happened at OSWho and Penn State were much different, JoePa reported it to his superiors. JT, on the other hand, swept it under the rug, was eventually caught red handed, and continued to deny its existence until there was no other option.

I don't really think there is that clear a difference.

We know what JT did.

We can only allege what JoePa did. JoePa told someone else to make it their problem, no one told the NCAA, and in fact JoePa had no intentions of telling anyone else despite nothing being done. You can hate JT all you want, he must have killed your puppy or stole your lollipop or something. But the two situations are completely different.

JT even with the cover up, was only covering up something that 90% of the people on here think shouldn't have to be covered up. Its their own property they should be able to do what they want with it. Some say he lied to cover his own @$$ or to protect the school. The bottom line is JT equals dust in the wind, and JoePa equal giant asteroid.

And I am huge JoePa supporter, and believe the only reason he is dead now is the awful treatment and guilt placed on him by the media and University.

[Zip Watcher]

Lets make one thing very clear here about JoePa and JT. Although what happened at OSWho and Penn State were much different, JoePa reported it to his superiors. JT, on the other hand, swept it under the rug, was eventually caught red handed, and continued to deny its existence until there was no other option.

JoePa and his superiors and staff allegedly enabled repeated abuse of minors in one of the most despicable ways there is. They knew about it, and didn't stop it. These two topics aren't in the same universe, let alone the same level.

[UAZip0510]

Jim Tressel found out that his players were involved in breaking NCAA rules. Instead of reporting the infractions, he handled the situation in-house and lied to the NCAA about his knowledge of them once they were uncovered. This eventually cost him his job.

Many here have said that, because of these actions, they cannot respect him and/or support him at UA.

According to an ESPN report, Terry Bowden allegedly found out in 1993 that Auburn was paying players to sign. He did not say whether or not he reported it to the NCAA, but considering they were already on probation and nothing happened, it's safe to say he didn't. Terry handled the situation in-house, saying he put a stop to the practice. When reporters asked him about it, Bowden said the comments were off the record and that he had no comment.

We have accepted Bowden with open arms.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1617370

For both men, this is somewhat of a 2nd chance. For Bowden, to prove he can once again lead a respected, winning D1 football program. For Tressel, to prove that he has learned from his critical error in judgement, and that he once again deserves to be in a leadership role at a university.

I hope we can all come together to support them both. They may be able to help take UA athletics to a level that we have never seen before.

[scottditzen]

I predict Tressel's presence is going to do nothing but help the University.

Don't worry too much about the negative comments people are saying on ESPN, national blogs, etc. Those people don't even know where Akron is. Most everyone I've spoken with is saying it's a brilliant hire; a win-win scenario.

The University of Akron is big enough to contain Bowden, Tressel, Porter, Dambrot, Faust, Proenza and everyone else. Getting our school to a bigger and brighter future is going to require a team effort.

Are you guys in?

p.s. to those of you on here who think Jim's presence is a bad influence for students, I just want to say that one of my most inspirational professors was a guy who made some bad choices and because of those choices, he could no longer work in his profession. But he got a second chance and was able to reinvent himself. And the students of Akron are the beneficiaries of his kindness and dedication.

[NewZipsFan]

Jim Tressel found out that his players were involved in breaking NCAA rules. Instead of reporting the infractions, he handled the situation in-house and lied to the NCAA about his knowledge of them once they were uncovered. This eventually cost him his job.

Many here have said that, because of these actions, they cannot respect him and/or support him at UA.

According to an ESPN report, Terry Bowden allegedly found out in 1993 that Auburn was paying players to sign. He did not say whether or not he reported it to the NCAA, but considering they were already on probation and nothing happened, it's safe to say he didn't. Terry handled the situation in-house, saying he put a stop to the practice. When reporters asked him about it, Bowden said the comments were off the record and that he had no comment.

We have accepted Bowden with open arms.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1617370

For both men, this is somewhat of a 2nd chance. For Bowden, to prove he can once again lead a respected, winning D1 football program. For Tressel, to prove that he has learned from his critical error in judgement, and that he once again deserves to be in a leadership role at a university.

I hope we can all come together to support them both. They may be able to help take UA athletics to a level that we have never seen before.

This has honestly, got to be the most intelligent post ever written/read on a college football fan message board. I sincerely, with 100% respect for this poster's matter-of-fact delivery of the best accounts/opinions on each topic; allows us to reasonably make up our own minds about each situation.

I personally think that Auburn is a MUCH scarier place than Ohio State could ever possibly be. Auburn and Alabma have taken college football to another level. Complain about the big $$$ to the schools from SEC television contracts? Alabama pays its head football coach close to $5million. That is insane - except for the fact that since Saban abandoned the Dolphins for the head job at Alabama, and they are undoubtedly the top program in the nation over the past 3 years, the Tide have raised enormous sums of money. They sre not operating at a deficit. Why did Auburn win last year? Two words. No.....four words.....Cam Newton Got Paid..... It is what it is.. They do it, and get away with it. When someone can finally make it stick, that writer will win a Pulitzer. I promise you that.

I would bet my season tickets that Tressel regrets what he did, and Coach Bowden wishes he had spoken up and stood up to some "powerful" boosters who bully their way through an Athletic Department.

LP has some vision, some guts, some love of gambling, and some actual clue about how to potentially raise the amount of money necessary to compete on the level with BCS confernence teams/champions. I really believe that if his (and the Board of Regents or Trustees) decisions prove to be the right ones, he and the Zips could become one of the great stories of recent memory. Gonna be fun to watch!

[LosAngelesZipFan]

Here's what I think: JT's life has been about being a coach, teacher, and mentor. He erred and fell. It would have been easier to just fade away. He doesn't need the money. He doesn't need the headache of a job. What he wants is redemption. He is not a perfect person-- no one is. He believes he has something to give back-- to still be the thing that he was best at, which is being a teacher. Helping young people. I can't imagine any other scenario where UA would get someone of his stature-- even now tainted-- to take a leadership role. He doesn't need to do this for any reason other than to make an impact. It's an incredible, far-sighted opportunity for UA to activate a donor base, business support, student interest. The man has something to prove. We are beyond lucky that our fellow alum is going to do that in service of UA.