Bruce Hooley

Bruce Hooley was sports editor of the Troy Daily News from 1983-86 and has covered Ohio State athletics for more than 25 years. Bruce was the OSU beat reporter for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland from 1987-2005.  From 2005-2011 he hosted the afternoon show on  ESPN radio 1460 AM,  in Columbus, and recently took another ESPN talk position on WKNR, 850 AM, in Cleveland.  In addition to his contribution to Press Pros Magazine, Hooley is a regular columnist for FoxSportsOhio.com.

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If you think that Jim Tressel would be overmatched as a coach in the National Football League, think again.  But if you think that he can be successful by being for the Colts what he was at Ohio State…think again.

Columbus -  Jim Tressel’s success as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, should he get the job, hinges on the disgraced Ohio State icon’s ability to pull off an ironic and radical role reversal.

After winning six Big Ten championships, a national championship, 94 games and four BCS bowls in 10 seasons, Tressel must undergo an unfathomable  transformation.

To win in the NFL, on anywhere close to the same level he did at OSU, Tressel must become less like himself and more like John Cooper.

That’s right, the guy who went 8-1 against Michigan (after NCAA penalties) must turn into the guy who went 2-10-1 against the Wolverines.

Cooper made a lot of people uncomfortable in Columbus with things he said from the moment he took over in 1988. He called Ohio Stadium, “Buckeye Stadium,” and he misquoted Woody Hayes famous mantra as, “You win with talent.” (Uh, it’s, “people,” John).

But the one thing Cooper always said that Tressel best borrow and make his own if Colts’ owner Jim Irsay hires him, is this: “I don’t coach players; I coach coaches.”

Cooper’s winning percentage and OSU accomplishments fall short of Tressel’s, but the one comparison that’s a blowout in Cooper’s favor is the quality of coaches he brought to Columbus.

Cooper’s staffs included many guys who went on to head coaching jobs in college (Gary Blackney, Jim Colletto, Walt Harris, Joe Hollis, Ron Zook, Lee Owens,  Larry Coker, Bill Conley) or became long-time NFL assistants or head coaches (Lovie Smith, Bobby April, Gerry Sullivan, Gene Huey, Larry Coyer, Fred Pagac, Tim Spencer, Bobby Turner.

Tressel generally surrounded himself with Youngstown State-reared Yes Men who owed their career in coaching to him, and hence wouldn’t challenge him on anything.

That’s why his staff rarely changed from year-to-year, because few schools and even fewer NFL teams thought enough of Tressel’s assistants to attempt luring them away. Conversely, Cooper’s staff suffered an almost annual raid because its coaches were so highly-regarded in the profession.

Certainly, that difference in approaches didn’t hurt Tressel’s record at OSU, but he won’t have the same advantages in recruiting, facilities or financial resources with the Colts that he enjoyed over the Buckeyes’ Big Ten competition.

Tressel simply must recognize his own shortcomings as play-caller in matching offensive wits against the NFL’s best defensive minds. If he doesn’t, poor Andrew Luck is in for a frustrating first few seasons until Tressel gets fired.

Former Buckeye beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bruce Hooley is a regular contributor to Press Pros Magazine and the new afternoon host for ESPN radio on 850 AM, WKNR, in Cleveland.

Those who assume Tressel’s skills won’t translate to the NFL because he’s too locked into a college coaching mindset vastly underestimate him. While he comes off bland and unimaginative, he is a master at clock management and other nuances that would serve him well in the NFL.

Because Indy is committed to getting dramatically younger, it’s likely Tressel could relate to his players better than some expect.

He also possesses one quality that eluded most observers during his years in Columbus, but would absolutely help him at the next level.

Despite his image as a measured, polite tactician, Tressel is a coldly and unrepentantly ruthless in his management style. He would command whatever room he’s in.

But if he remains insistent on believing he’s the smartest guy in that room, Tressel is doomed to failure in the NFL.

Follow Bruce on Twitter @BHOOLZ
Email Bruce at hoolz@espncleveland.com
Bruce Hooley hosts The Hooligans from 3-6 p.m. weekdays on ESPN 850 WKNR, Cleveland. He is a former sports editor of the Troy Daily News.