Lieutenant governors in Ohio typically run a state agency in addition to being a close adviser to the governor because the actual responsibilities of the position are minimal.

The Ohio Constitution states: “The lieutenant governor shall perform such duties in the executive department as are assigned to him by the governor and as are prescribed by law.” The state Constitution also reads: “In the case of the death, conviction on impeachment, resignation, or removal, of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall succeed to the office of governor.”

So if the governor doesn’t want the lieutenant governor to do anything, the lieutenant governor doesn’t do anything.

But that is definitely not the case with Gov. Mike DeWine and Jim Tressel, who has been his lieutenant governor since his Feb. 12 confirmation by the state Legislature and only two days after he was nominated.

DeWine, a Republican, has long admired Tressel and got to know him quite well when the latter served as Youngstown State University president for nine years.

Tressel replaced Jon Husted, who left the lieutenant governor’s job in January after DeWine appointed him to an open U.S. Senate seat.

During Husted’s time as lieutenant governor, he led InnovateOhio, an agency created by DeWine with the goal of making state government more innovative and efficient.

When DeWine announced Feb. 10 that Tressel was his lieutenant governor selection, he said Tressel would focus on education and workforce development.

At the March 12 State of the State address, DeWine said Tressel will “lead an exciting and innovative new effort to create ‘Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.'”

The program, DeWine said, “is really the logical extension of our economic success. The lieutenant governor is ready. He’s ready to help clear the barrier holding Ohioans back and ready to recruit everyone we can onto our Ohio workforce team.”

DeWine said, “I am asking Lt. Gov. Tressel to focus on identifying the job, skill-set, education and talent needs in each region of Ohio. In doing this, the lieutenant governor will bring people together. He will work closely with our four-year universities and colleges, our career tech schools, our state agencies as well as local businesses and leaders and develop a strategy that meets the specific needs of each region of Ohio.”

DeWine said Tressel “will focus on how we produce enough workers to meet those needs as we strive to retain homegrown talent, recruit new talent into Ohio and rally our existing workforce.”

It’s an open-ended position, but that’s likely intentional.

This will allow Tressel to contribute to DeWine’s administration and play on his strengths and experience as he’s never held an elected political office.

DeWine said during the State of the State that Tressel has “been a leader in every job he has ever held. I saw that up close during his nine years running Youngstown State University. He knows education. He knows the workforce. And he knows Ohio.”

Tressel is, of course, best known for being the head football coach for 10 years at The Ohio State University. The team won a national championship in 2002 and seven Big 10 championships during his time there. Before that, Tressel spent 13 years as YSU’s head football coach, winning four Division 1-AA national championships.

On the day Tressel was confirmed by the state Legislature, DeWine told me the new lieutenant governor would “make an excellent governor. I wouldn’t put anybody in that position if I didn’t think they wouldn’t make a good governor.”

DeWine also said, “I wouldn’t put him in this position unless I thought he was the best person I could think of to serve as governor of the state of Ohio. So, yeah, I think he would be a very, very fine governor if something happened to me.”

The speculation of Tressel possibly running for governor next year isn’t dying down.

Tressel told me Feb. 13 of a potential run, “I wouldn’t rule that out.”

Both he and DeWine haven’t gone any further than that.

That doesn’t mean Tressel isn’t thinking about it.

He’s already agreed to headline at least four Lincoln Day dinners throughout the state. The dinners are typically the top — or among the top — fundraising events for local Republican parties.

Tressel is speaking to Darke County Republicans on April 10 and to those in Medina County, where he resides, on May 15.

What is of great interest is Tressel also is the keynote speaker at the Lincoln Day dinners in Franklin on May 20 and Cuyahoga on June 5. Those are the state’s two most-populous counties.

David Skolnick covers politics for the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator.