Tressels to be Honored as Penguins of the Year

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown State Penguin Club will honor Ellen and Jim Tressel as the Penguins of the Year at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman on Feb. 29.

Full tables ($1,000), half tables ($625), individual tickets ($125) and program advertisements are available for the evening. 

Full tables include seven dinner tickets, an autograph ball and a student-athlete sponsorship. Half tables include four dinner tickets, an autograph ball and a student-athlete sponsorship.

Proceeds from the dinner will be used to fund YSU’s athletic scholarship program and to provide championship rings for outstanding student-athletes and coaches.

Deadline to purchase tickets and ads is Feb. 12. Contact the Penguin Club office at 330 941 2351 or 330 941 7466.

The Tressels have made many contributions to the Mahoning Valley. 

Ellen Tressel has served on numerous boards and service organizations, ranging from the James Cancer Hospital Foundation board, Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation board, the Home Savings and Loan board and COSI in Columbus, Ohio. She remains involved with YSU and the community. She is co-chairing, along with her husband, the campaign for the new student center and remains a member of the Beatitude House board and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society board. 

Jim Tressel spent 15 years as the head football coach at YSU and six as the executive director of intercollegiate athletics before being named the head football coach at OSU in January 2001. At YSU, he posted a record of 135-57-2 and led the program to Division I-AA National Championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997. His OSU team won a national title in 2002.

Tressel retired last year after serving nine years as YSU president. Prior to that, he was executive vice president for student success at the University of Akron.

The annual Scholarship Ring Banquet also will recognize YSU’s recent conference champions: men’s basketball, men’s indoor track and field, women’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, women’s tennis and men’s cross country. Also, YSU earned the Horizon League’s McCafferty Trophy for its excellence in the conference’s 19 championship sports.

Pictured at top: Ellen and Jim Tressel. (YSU)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.