OCF: He was offered the job by telephone without an interview.  I was told this several years ago by someone who worked for the man who made the telephone call, whom I met during an alumni event prior to a basketball game at KSU.  I'm sure your former football equipment manager-now-parking-attendant insists he knows more (always does), but I'll stick with my source.  Grobe was our third choice.

Tressel had made quite an impression on our administrators when YSU spanked us 27-0 at Youngstown in 1990 (I was there, ugh), and then beat us again a couple of years later. By the way, shortly after that first YSU debacle, we were to have traveled to Killarney, Ireland, for a face-off against Ball State.  As you might recall, eight days before departure, the university announced that the travel agent had run off with all of the travelers' money (including mine!) and the game was canceled.  Those were dark years.

 

Well, according to my source, you are right that Grobe was the number three choice, but wrong about JT ever being offered the job.  Personally, I have served on a number search committees in my days at OU (including one for the athletic department), and I can't imagine a candidate being offered the job without an on-campus interview.  I think your source was exaggerating his role in the hiring process.  He probably called JT in some sort of triage process.

Yes, I'm well aware of the Shamrock Bowl.  My wife and I were all set to go. When the game was cancelled we made a quick change in plans and took a vacation in Germany instead.  Charlie Ping, ever the class act, made sure that we got a full refund for our pre-payment for the trip.  I think he dipped into university reserves to pay everyone back to re-establish the good faith and credit of dear ole Ohio.

"The responsibility of doing the right thing can weigh a person down when the focus is on rules on regulations"
Jim Tressel from The Winners Manual.