At first, I thought Jim Tressel being President of YSU would be a big mistake. But, then I thought about the posts by Wick250. I thought about the fact that fund raising is a huge part of being a University President. I thought about how much support Tressel has from prominent members of the Ytown/Warren area, most(or all) of whom are financial donors to YSU. Some donate as individuals, some through their companies, and others do both. Also, many of these people attended college, and did so at schools OTHER than YSU. These people have a vested interest in YSU being a quality University, because in many cases graduates from YSU will be applying for jobs at these companies. And, almost all of the business owners supporting Tressel likely have at least a few YSU students as employees.
Tressel's ability to network, raise funds, interact with students and people in general, would all be highly valuable in this position. I could see Tressel being highly visible on campus. Being a President that students could talk with about things pertaining to their education, the campus, or just having a conversation. That is his nature, and in time word of YSU having a President who actually cares about the students, the University and the entire community would spread well beyond the Ytown/Warren area.
I also spoke with a person I know who is originally from another country. She came to the US to go to college, and has both a Bachelor's and Masters Degree from schools here in the US. This person is not a huge sports person, and had never heard of Jim Tressel before meeting me. I asked her if a college she was considering attending had a person with Tressel's background as President, but an "academic" as the Provost if this would turn her away from a school, or cause her to not look at a school. She said no, having a person who had made their name in athletics would not deter her from attending a college. And, the fact said President was so well respected in the community, and had the personable nature of a Jim Tressel would even be viewed as a positive. My friend graduated with honors in earning both her Bachelor's and Masters. She also comes from a country where schools do not have sports teams.
The likelihood Tressel would leave YSU in 1-2 years if hired is slim. I know there are people who think he still wants to coach football. And, he may still have a desire to coach football. But, he also has a desire to do other things. I truly believe if hired as President of YSU, he would stay in that position as long as his health allowed him to do what it takes to get the job done.
I really believe this can work at YSU. Tressel as President, and then a highly regarded
"academic" as Provost, who is in charge of the academic functions of the University. With YSU receiving less and less money each year from the state of Ohio, it is more important than ever that YSU have a President who can raise money and who knows how to deal with people as people.
