In the immediate aftermath of Jim Tressel‘s stunningly jarring decision to step down as head coach at Ohio State, it was reported that The Vest was “encouraged” to resign for the good of the football program and the university.
In what’s described as his first sit-down interview since the resignation, OSU president E. Gordon Gee once again maintained that simply wasn’t the case, that the decision was Tressel’s and Tressel’s alone.
(Feel free to insert an eye roll at your leisure.)
“He was not given an ultimatum,” Gee told the Columbus Dispatch before describing the conversation between Tressel and athletic director Gene Smith that led to the coach’s resignation.
“It was a conversation about the serious issues that we were having as an institution and the damage we were sustaining. And I think in that conversation, the coach understood the serious nature of the issues. That was the purpose of the conversation. ...
“The coach ultimately made that decision. I think that he realized that there was a tremendous amount of pressure. ... And by the way, Jim Tressel always said he would do what was best for the university.”
Too bad he didn’t “do what was best for the university” as he was reportedly/allegedly turning a blind eye to/covering up the very issues that ultimately led to his resignation.
In the interview, which is actually a good read and again you can see by clicking HERE, Gee went on to state that the official financial closure of Tressel’s tenure at the school could come at some point this week -- it had previously been reported that Tressel was owed no money by the school -- including how his NCAA-levied $250,000 fine will be paid; as far as violations go, “there’s nothing the public is not already aware of"; and that a tenured position at the school, which was stipulated in his contract, will likely not happen.
“The coach returning is highly unlikely,” Gee told the paper in regards to a position on the faculty.
Additionally, Gee addressed his infamously asinine “I’m just hoping the coach doesn’t dismiss me” comment during a March press conference announcing Tressel’s NCAA indiscretions and, to his credit, manned up and issued yet another mea culpa.
“I don’t think the coach handled it well. I certainly didn’t with that comment,” Gee said.
“Anytime I do anything that in some way does not bring credit to the university, then I always step up and plead ‘I’m guilty.’ And I’m guilty.”