College Football Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel, who won the 2002 national title at Ohio State University, has been nominated to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, joining a long list of sports figures who’ve moved into politics.

These former Ohio State athletes left the playing field, court and track for the political arena. Now Jim Tressel joins their ranks.

On Monday, Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced he was picking Tressel as his nominee to serve as the state's lieutenant governor for the next two years. Tressel had previously been serving as the president of Youngstown State from 2014-2023, where he was also the head coach from 1986-2000.