Joe Tresey’s recent appointment as Assistant Coach and Director of High School Relations for the Ohio University football program represents a major move for the Bobcats, blending decades of coaching experience with a strategic emphasis on recruitment. Announced by head coach Brian Smith in early July 2025, Tresey’s promotion reflects not only a deep well of coaching knowledge but also a targeted effort to strengthen the program’s relationships with high school coaches and athletes across Ohio and beyond. Tresey initially joined the Bobcats in August 2024 as a recruiting assistant and quickly became a trusted voice within the staff. His new title expands his impact, placing him at the heart of both coaching and recruiting strategy at a time when the program is focused on long-term growth and competitiveness in the Mid-American Conference.
Tresey’s career in football spans over three decades and includes experience at virtually every level of the game, from high school to FBS college football to the professional ranks. His coaching roots are grounded in Ohio, where he served as a high school head coach at Mechanicsburg, Fredericktown, New Philadelphia, and Middletown. His work at Fredericktown earned him the 1989 UPI Ohio Division IV Coach of the Year award, a significant early milestone in his coaching career. These early experiences provided Tresey with a unique understanding of the high school football landscape in Ohio, relationships that he can now fully leverage in his new role. His deep familiarity with the culture and demands of high school football gives him an edge as he works to build bridges between the university and prep programs throughout the region.
After his successful high school coaching stint, Tresey transitioned to the collegiate level, beginning as a defensive coordinator at Otterbein in 1995. He moved on to Virginia Military Institute, where he served as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator, gaining valuable experience in developing players and identifying talent. In 2002, Tresey joined the staff at Akron, where he continued his work on defense before moving to Georgia Southern. From there, he advanced to prominent coordinator positions at several notable programs, including Central Michigan, Cincinnati, South Florida, UCLA, and Youngstown State. His defensive units were often among the best statistically, with his 2007 Cincinnati defense leading the nation in turnovers gained and interceptions. That same year, Cincinnati finished 13th nationally in scoring defense, showcasing Tresey’s ability to build aggressive, opportunistic units. At South Florida in 2009, Tresey’s defense helped lead the Bulls to an International Bowl win, finishing 19th nationally in scoring defense. His time at UCLA culminated in an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game, reinforcing his reputation as a defensive strategist capable of competing at the highest levels.
Tresey’s influence extended to Youngstown State, where he helped engineer a defense that ranked 11th nationally in total defense in 2012. His teams were consistently disciplined, physical, and technically sound, characteristics that reflect his coaching philosophy. His resume also includes a stint with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League in 2010, giving him a rare perspective across college and professional football. These experiences have shaped Tresey into a multifaceted coach, equally comfortable designing complex defensive schemes and mentoring young athletes.
What makes Tresey’s new role especially significant is the fusion of his coaching expertise with his responsibilities in high school relations. Recruiting at the collegiate level is as much about building trust and long-term relationships as it is about evaluating talent, and Tresey’s decades of experience provide him with an extensive network across Ohio high school programs. He knows the coaches, understands the challenges of player development at that level, and can serve as a reliable, knowledgeable point of contact between the university and local schools. As Director of High School Relations, Tresey will organize campus visits, facilitate communication with coaches and families, and represent the university at clinics and events. His ability to connect with high school coaches as a former high school coach himself creates an authentic link between the two worlds.
His promotion also signals a broader shift in how Ohio football is aligning its personnel with its recruiting objectives. By entrusting someone of Tresey’s experience with this role, the program demonstrates its commitment to building from within the state, focusing on retaining local talent, and strengthening its grassroots presence. As high school football continues to evolve with increased competition and the rise of private training and exposure events, having someone like Tresey who understands both the traditional and modern recruiting landscapes is invaluable. His presence can help Ohio navigate the complex and ever-changing recruitment terrain, especially within Ohio’s highly competitive high school football scene.
The timing of this appointment is also important. Head coach Brian Smith, who assumed the lead role in December 2024, is shaping a staff that blends experience with innovation. Bringing in someone like Tresey—who has seen nearly every corner of the football world—adds a stabilizing, veteran influence to the team’s structure. Tresey will not only work to identify and attract future Bobcats but also play an active role in preparing the current roster defensively. His insights into film study, game planning, and situational football will be critical as the team moves into fall camp and prepares for the 2025 season.
Tresey’s academic background further supports his commitment to player development and educational values. A native of Warren, Ohio, he graduated from Warren JFK High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio State University in 1982. He later earned a master’s in sport science from Ashland University in 1997, reflecting his dedication to continual growth and learning. These academic credentials, combined with his coaching pedigree, make him particularly well-suited for the multifaceted demands of college football coaching, where mentorship and personal development are as important as athletic success.
His ties to the Ohio community extend through his family as well. Tresey and his wife, Patty, have a son, Patrick, who also works in education and coaching in Valdosta, Georgia. This continued family commitment to teaching and football reinforces the idea that Tresey’s approach to the game is rooted in values, relationships, and long-term development. His recognitions—such as being inducted into both the Fredericktown and JFK High School Halls of Fame—highlight the respect he commands in communities he has served. Those same qualities—trust, dependability, and passion for teaching—are what Ohio is counting on as Tresey assumes his expanded role.
As the 2025 football season approaches, the significance of Tresey’s position will become more visible. Whether in guiding a young linebacker through coverage responsibilities or sitting in a high school coach’s office discussing a promising recruit, Tresey brings authenticity and depth to every interaction. His appointment is more than just a staffing decision; it is a signal that Ohio football values institutional knowledge, strategic recruiting, and relationship-building. It is also a recognition that in a competitive football landscape, success comes from not just finding the right players but cultivating the right people to lead and support them.
In the months ahead, Tresey will help shape the identity of Ohio football, not only through defensive tactics but through how the program is perceived by high school coaches and student-athletes. His ability to blend technical expertise with personal outreach makes him a rare asset. His coaching credentials offer credibility in the meeting room and on the field, while his high school background gives him a natural voice in recruiting circles. The Bobcats are betting that this combination will pay dividends in recruiting classes, defensive execution, and overall program cohesion.
In a sport increasingly driven by analytics, exposure, and high-pressure recruiting cycles, having someone who knows what it means to teach, mentor, and lead over decades of change is invaluable. Joe Tresey offers Ohio football not just a coach, but a builder—of systems, of relationships, of trust, and of young men. His new role places him exactly where he needs to be: at the intersection of competition and connection, poised to help guide Ohio football into its next chapter.
