Ohio State introduced James Patrick Tressel as its 22nd head coach on Jan. 18, 2001.
Born in Mentor, Ohio, Tressel played quarterback at Baldwin-Wallace and served on Earle Bruce's Ohio State staff from 1983-1985, an unknown to many fans. Tressel coached 15 years at Youngstown State and won three Division I-AA championships with the Penguins.
On the day Ohio State hired him, Tressel made sure fans who didn't know him knew what he stood for. During halftime of the Ohio State-Michigan basketball game, Tressel addressed the Value City Arena crowd and promised them that they would be "proud of their team team in the classroom, in the community and most especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the football field.