Ohio State to add former coach to Ring of Honor

Ohio State will enshrine its former football coach in the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor on September 5, 2026, the date the team opens its football season. The coach, who led the program from 2001 to 2010 and won a national title in 2002, will join two other former coaches as the only ones recognized in the ring of honor. The coach will be the first person enshrined since 2014.

Background on the coach's tenure The coach compiled a 106-23 record, won six conference titles, and posted a 9-1 mark against the program's chief rival. The coach also led another program to four Division I-AA national titles between 1986 and 2000. The coach was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015. The coach later served as president of a university from 2014 to 2023.

Announcement and statements University officials surprised the coach with the selection at an event attended by several former players. The coach said in a statement that the recognition alongside two legendary coaches is humbling. The university's athletic director said in a statement that the coach built championship teams while developing generations of young men who became leaders in their communities.

The coach resigned in 2011 after an NCAA investigation into improper benefits. The university vacated all wins from the 2010 season and received a postseason ban in 2012. The coach received a five-year show-cause order from the NCAA.