Luke Fickell reveals why trying to be Jim Tressel was a mistake
· Yahoo Sports
Luke Fickell learned a key lesson from his brief time as Ohio State's interim head football coach.
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Appearing at the 2026 Big Ten Football Media Days, Fickell was asked what he learned in his year heading the Ohio State program after taking over for a suspended Jim Tressel, who resigned over the "Tattoogate" scandal.
"I made about every mistake you could possibly make," Fickell said about the 2011 season at Ohio State. "But being yourself, being authentic and making sure the guys that are around you understand the consistency of what the expectations are and the way that you want them done. And I didn't do that in that year."
Before being appointed interim head coach, Fickell spent eight years as an assistant for the Buckeyes, coaching special teams, linebackers and eventually serving as the co-defensive coordinator. Originally slated to serve as interim coach during Tressell's suspension, Fickell coached the entire season after Tressel's resignation, leading the Buckeyes to a 6-6 regular-season record.
"I remember back, I tried to be as much of coach Jim Tressel as I possibly could, and I recognized that that's not the case and that's not the way to build," Fickell said.
Fickell remained the co-defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer, helping Ohio State win the 2014 national championship. He was named the head coach of Cincinnati ahead of the 2017 season and won two conference championships.
Fickell was named Coach of the Year in 2021 by the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America.
Fickell made his return to the Big Ten after Wisconsin hired him at the end of the 2022 season.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Luke Fickell reveals why trying to be Jim Tressel was a mistake