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Gov. Mike DeWine said today he doesn't have the authority to remove members of the Youngstown State University's Board of Trustees for their appointment of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson as the next president -- and even if he did, he wouldn't take that action.
DeWine said he thinks Johnson, a fellow Republican, is going to do a "good job" as YSU president, a job he starts Monday.
DeWine said there were complaints when Jim Tressel was hired as YSU president because he didn't have a doctorate degree and people said he didn't have the academic credentials and he "did a great job."
Johnson has no higher education experience while Tressel was a longtime football coach at YSU and Ohio State University and then was the University of Akron's vice president of strategic engagement before he was hired to lead YSU.
Any time a university president who "doesn't fit the norm" there are going to be "people who object," DeWine said.
The governor said the most important job a university's board of trustees has is to hire a president.
The YSU president's search was a confidential one.
DeWine said state lawyers talked to YSU legal counsel about any potential violations of state public meetings and public records laws and were told that there weren't any.
For more, read Friday's print and online editions.