Schutt Sports I-A Coach of the Year Runners-up

Jim Tressel Ohio State Jim Tressel, who went 7-5 last season as head coach of the Buckeyes, led Ohio State (14-0) to a national championship in just his second season in Columbus with a 31-24 overtime win over defending national champion, the Miami Hurricanes. This was Tressel’s fifth national title. He also guided Youngstown State to four Division I-AA national championships. Tressel had actually interviewed for the Miami job a decade ago when he was head coach at YSU. Tressel had lost out to Butch Davis, who later paved the way for Larry Coker. The Buckeyes used both a solid defense and a conservative offense to record the first 14-win season in college football. In fact Ohio State, which has defeated archrival Michigan two straight years, also captured a share of the 2002 Big Ten title with Iowa, who did not play the Buckeyes this season. Tressel, an even-tempered individual, never