Jim Tressel got Akron fans’ hopes up before telling the school that he was not interested in its coaching job, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal on Thursday.
Here’s a statement from Zips athletic director Tom Wistrcill: “While Coach Tressel has shared with us that he is not interested in coaching at Akron, he has graciously volunteered to help his alma mater however he can during the search for our next football coach.”
Tressel earned a graduate degree from Akron, where he also was a graduate assistant from 1975-78. Of course, he then eventually went on to lead Youngstown State to four FCS titles and Ohio State to the 2002 national championship.
We don’t blame Zips fans for frothing at the mouth when it was reported that Tressel would meet with the school.
Tressel is a god in Ohio and, after the 2-22 tenure of recently fired Akron coach Rob Ianello, a hire of the Sweater Vest would have been, um, a really big step up.
