Jim Tressel, a former college football coach and Ohio’s soon-to-be lieutenant governor, said Thursday that he never envisioned accepting such a position — and that, despite heightened speculation, he has not thought about running for governor in 2026.

The decision I made was to sign the NCAA form that all of our players were doing appropriate things — and that wasn't the truth.”

Jim Tressel, a former Ohio State University football coach and university administrator, won quick confirmation from state lawmakers on Wednesday as Ohio’s 67th lieutenant governor. Tressel, a 72-year-old Medina Republican,