Schutt Sports I-A Coach of the Year Runners-up

Jim Tressel
Ohio State

Jim Tressel, who went 7-5 last season as head coach of the Buckeyes, led Ohio State (14-0) to a national championship in just his second season in Columbus with a 31-24 overtime win over defending national champion, the Miami Hurricanes. This was Tressel’s fifth national title. He also guided Youngstown State to four Division I-AA national championships.

Tressel had actually interviewed for the Miami job a decade ago when he was head coach at YSU. Tressel had lost out to Butch Davis, who later paved the way for Larry Coker.

The Buckeyes used both a solid defense and a conservative offense to record the first 14-win season in college football. In fact Ohio State, which has defeated archrival Michigan two straight years, also captured a share of the 2002 Big Ten title with Iowa, who did not play the Buckeyes this season.

Tressel, an even-tempered individual, never browbeats his players and always seems to pull the very best from each and every athlete.

Ohio State had not won a national title since the 1968 season during the era of legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes, so it is only fitting that Jim Tressel, a native of Ohio, reclaim the championship glory to Ohio State football.

Pete Carroll
Southern Cal

Pete Carroll, who is 17-8 overall as a college head coach, has revived Southern Cal football.

Under Carroll, the No. 4 ranked Trojans finished the 2002 campaign at 11-2 with eight straight victories, including wins over Washington, Oregon, UCLA, Notre Dame and a 38-17 thumping of No. 8 Iowa in the Orange Bowl. In fact, the Trojans outscored UCLA, Notre Dame and Iowa 134-51 in their final three games.

According to many of the country’s top college football experts, USC could have been the strongest team in the nation at season’s end. Southern Cal defeated seven Top 25 teams in 2002 and snapped Iowa’s nine-game winning streak.

In an ironic twist, Carroll, who turned down the USC head coaching job five years ago – then the head coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots – now believes that USC is a perfect fit.

Carroll has completely revived the Trojan football program with large doses of experience, vigor and leadership. Southern Cal has gone to two consecutive bowl games and even though the Trojans will be without Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer, Carroll has his team aimed at another national championship run in 2003.

Kirk Ferentz
Iowa

Kirk Ferentz, who was named the 25th head football coach at the University of Iowa, has slowly rebuilt the Hawkeyes’ program and stepped out of the shadow cast by legendary Iowa head coach Hayden Fry.

Ferentz, who replaced Fry four years ago, was a member of Hayden Fry’s staff for nine years (1981-1989), along with Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez and Dan McCarney.

The Hawkeyes, who finished the 2002 campaign ranked No. 8 nationally, entered the Orange Bowl with a nine-game winning streak and an 11-2 record before suffering a 38-17 loss to No. 4 ranked Southern Cal.

Iowa benefited from not only Ferentz’s coaching style, but also the playing style of Heisman Trophy finalist Brad Banks.

Banks, a senior quarterback, led the Hawkeyes offensively and provided Ferentz with the weaponry needed to compete in arguably the nation’s toughest conference.

Iowa and Ohio State each took a share of the Big Ten title, however, they did not play each other this season.

The Hawkeyes’ only loss of the regular season came to archrival Iowa State back in September, 36-31, in just their third game of the year.

Tyrone Willingham
Notre Dame

Tyrone Willingham’s 10 victories during his first season in South Bend are the most for any rookie Fighting Irish head coach.

Willingham led Notre Dame to a 10-3 season record in 2002 after falling to North Carolina State 28-6 in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Under Willingham, the Fighting Irish, who finished the season ranked No. 17 nationally, had visions of playing for their ninth national championship with eight straight victories to start the season, a task that had not been accomplished since 1964 under Ara Parseghian. In fact, Willingham led Notre Dame past four ranked teams in a row – Maryland, Michigan, Air Force and Florida State.

The Irish showed greater discipline than they had in recent years – a direct result of Willingham’s coaching philosophy and approach to the game. Willingham (54-39-1 overall) previously spent seven years as the head coach at Stanford and has shattered any stereotypes associated with African-American head coaches.

He has proved that minorities can win at any program – including the most the heralded. Willingham has returned Notre Dame football to prominence and further solidified his status among the nation’s best.