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Joseph Vincent Paterno (; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as JoePa, was an American
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
player,
athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...
, and coach. He was the
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
of the
Penn State Nittany Lions The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interco ...
from 1966 to 2011. With 409 victories, Paterno is the most victorious coach in
NCAA FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
history. He recorded his 409th victory on October 29, 2011; his career ended with his dismissal from the team on November 9, 2011, as a result of the
Penn State child sex abuse scandal The Penn State child sex abuse scandal concerned allegations and subsequent convictions of child sexual abuse committed by Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, over a period of at least fifteen years. ...
. He died 74 days later, of complications from
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
. Paterno was born in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. He attended
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, where he played football both ways as the
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and a
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
. He had originally planned on going to law school, but he was instead hired in 1950 as an assistant football coach at Penn State. He was persuaded to do this by his college coach
Rip Engle Charles A. "Rip" Engle (March 26, 1906 – March 7, 1983) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Brown University from 1944 to 1949 and at Pennsylvania State University from ...
, who had taken over as Penn State's head coach. In 1966, Paterno was named as Engle's successor. He soon coached the team to two undefeated regular seasons in
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...
and
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
. The team won two national championships—in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
and
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
. Paterno coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl games, and in 2007 he was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
as a coach. During his career, he led the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl appearances with 24 wins while turning down offers to coach
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) teams that included the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Paterno's coaching career ended abruptly in 2011, shortly before his death, when the
Penn State Board of Trustees The Penn State Board of Trustees is the 38-member governing body for The Pennsylvania State University. Its members include the university's president, the Governor of the Commonwealth, and the state Secretaries of Agriculture, Conservation and Na ...
terminated his contract in response to a child sex abuse scandal involving Paterno's former defensive coordinator
Jerry Sandusky Gerald Arthur Sandusky (born January 26, 1944) is an American retired college football coach and convicted serial child molester. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Pa ...
. An investigation conducted by former
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
director
Louis Freeh Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) is an American attorney and former judge who served as the fifth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001. Graduated from Rutgers University and New York Universi ...
reported that Paterno concealed information relating to Sandusky's abuse of a young boy.Ken Belson
"Abuse Scandal Inquiry Damns Paterno and Penn State"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', July 13, 2012.
A critique of the Freeh report, commissioned by the Paterno family, disputed Paterno's involvement in the alleged cover-up. In 2012, the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
vacated all of Penn State's wins from 1998 through 2011 as part of its punishment. State Senator
Jake Corman Jacob Doyle Corman III (born September 9, 1964) is an American politician and former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate 1999 to 2022, holding the same seat his father, Doyle Corman, prev ...
used the Freeh report as a basis to sue the NCAA, asserting that both Freeh and the NCAA had collaborated and failed to follow due process. Corman released emails showing "regular and substantive" contact between NCAA officials and Freeh's investigators, suggesting that Freeh's conclusions were orchestrated. In a 2015 legal settlement with Penn State, the NCAA reversed its decision and restored all 111 wins to Paterno's record.Joe Paterno's Penn State wins restored
''Sports Illustrated''. Retrieved January 16, 2015.


Early life

Joseph Vincent Paterno was born December 21, 1926, in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, the son of Florence de LaSalle Cafiero, a homemaker, and Angelo Lafayette Paterno, a law clerk. His family was of Italian ancestry. He spoke with a marked Brooklyn accent throughout his life. In 1944, Paterno graduated from
Brooklyn Preparatory School Brooklyn Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Brooklyn Prep, was a highly selective Jesuit preparatory school founded by the Society of Jesus in 1908. The school educated generations of young men from throughout New York City and Long Isla ...
. Six weeks later he was drafted into the Army during World War II. Paterno spent a year in the Army before being discharged in time to start the 1946 school year at
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, where his tuition was paid by Busy Arnold. At Brown, Paterno was a member of
Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fifteen ...
fraternity (Upsilon chapter). He played quarterback and cornerback for the
Bears Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the North ...
, and he shares the career record for interceptions (14) with Greg Parker. Paterno graduated as an English literature major in 1950.


Coaching history

Paterno had been accepted to
Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...
, and he had planned to attend before deciding to coach at Penn State. After hearing of his career choice, his father asked, "For God's sake, what did you go to college for?" Paterno joined
Rip Engle Charles A. "Rip" Engle (March 26, 1906 – March 7, 1983) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Brown University from 1944 to 1949 and at Pennsylvania State University from ...
as an assistant coach at Penn State in
1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
; Engle had coached five seasons, 1944–1949, at Brown. Paterno was promoted to associate coach, the top assistant, in June
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
, and when Engle announced his retirement in February
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
, Paterno was named his successor the next day. Paterno had one Heisman Trophy winner,
John Cappelletti John Cappelletti (born August 9, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers. Prior to his professional career, he att ...
, who earned the award in 1973. In 1995, Paterno apologized for a tirade directed at
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
head coach
Doug Graber Douglas Graber (born September 26, 1944) is a former American football coach. He graduated from Wayne State University (1966) in Detroit, Michigan. He began his coaching career at St. Frances Cabrini Elementary School and High School in Allen Par ...
at the end of a nationally televised game. Penn State football struggled from 2000 to 2004, with an overall 26–33 record in those years and Paterno became the target of criticism from some Penn State faithful. Many in the media attributed Penn State's struggles to Paterno's advancing age. He had no apparent plans to retire, and contingents of fans and alumni began calling for him to step down. Paterno rebuffed all of this and stated he would fulfill his contract until it expired in 2008. Reflecting the growth in Penn State's stature,
Beaver Stadium Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. It has been home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference since 1960, though some parts of ...
was expanded six times during his tenure, increasing in size from 46,284 in 1966 to 106,572 in 2001. During a speech in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
on May 12, 2005, Paterno announced that he would consider retirement if the 2005 football team had a disappointing season. "If we don't win some games, I've got to get my rear end out of here", Paterno said in a speech at the Duquesne Club. "Simple as that". Penn State finished the season with a record of 11–1 and were champions of the
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
in 2005. They defeated Florida State 26–23 in triple overtime in the
2006 Orange Bowl The 2006 Orange Bowl, a 2005–06 BCS game, was played on January 3, 2006. This 72nd edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Florida State Seminoles. This game was known for being the eighth, and ultimately fina ...
. Paterno was accused of " making light of sexual assault" in 2006 by the
National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
, which called for his resignation, though Penn State later categorized this incident as being "taken out of context" and never seriously considered asking for Paterno's resignation. The 2009 season was Paterno's 44th as
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
of the
Nittany Lions The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interc ...
, passing
Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfie ...
for the most years as head coach at a single institution in Division I.Joe Paterno
GoPSUSports.com
Paterno's abbreviated 2011 season was his 62nd on the Penn State coaching staff, which gave him the record for most seasons for any football coach at a single university. Penn State faced a litany of players' off-the-field legal problems, which included 46 Penn State football players facing 163 criminal charges dating back to 2002. A total of 118 charges were dismissed or not proven, according to an ESPN analysis of Pennsylvania court records and reports. In 2008, ESPN questioned the control that Paterno and the university exerted over the Penn State football program. ESPN produced and aired an ESPN feature ''
Outside the Lines ''Outside the Lines'', or also referred to as ''OTL'', is an American television program on ESPN that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in mostly American sports on and off the field of play. The primary host of the show is ...
'' that covered the subject. Paterno dismissed the allegations as a "
witch hunt A witch-hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. The classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America took place in the Early Modern perio ...
", and a radio broadcaster said Paterno chided reporters for asking about problems. The
Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System The Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System (also known as SERSor Pen SERS) is an independent administrative board of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that manages the public pension system for state employees in Pennsylvan ...
(SERS) revealed Paterno's salary in November 2007: $512,664. He was paid $490,638 in 2006. "I'm paid well, I'm not overpaid," Paterno said during an interview with reporters Wednesday before the salary disclosure. "I got all the money I need". Paterno was known for his gameday image — thick glasses, rolled-up dress slacks (by his admission, to save on cleaning bills), white socks and Brooklyn-tinged speech.


Bowls and championships

Paterno holds an official NCAA total of 18 bowl victories. He holds the NCAA record for total bowl appearances with 37. He had a bowl record of 24 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie following a defeat in the
2011 Outback Bowl The 2011 Outback Bowl, a college football bowl game, matched the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten. The 25th edition of the Outback Bowl, it was played at Raymond James Stadiu ...
. Paterno was the first coach with the distinction of having won each of the four major bowls — Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar — as well as the Cotton Bowl Classic, at least once. Penn State won at least three bowl games in each of the four decades in which Paterno coached the entire decade, from 1970 thru 2009. Paterno led Penn State to two
national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
(1982 and 1986) and five undefeated, untied seasons (1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, and 1994). Four of his unbeaten teams (1968, 1969, 1973, and 1994) won major bowl games and were not awarded a national championship. Under Paterno, Penn State won the Orange Bowl (1968, 1969, 1973 and 2005), the Cotton Bowl (1972 and 1974), the Fiesta Bowl (1977, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1991, and 1996), the Liberty Bowl (1979), the Sugar Bowl (1982), the Aloha Bowl (1983), the Holiday Bowl (1989), the Citrus Bowl (1993 and 2010), the Rose Bowl (1994), the Outback Bowl (1995, 1998 and 2006) and the Alamo Bowl (1999 and 2007). After Penn State joined the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
in 1993, the Nittany Lions under Paterno won the Big Ten championship three times (1994, 2005 and 2008). Paterno had 29 finishes in the Top 10 national rankings.


Awards and honors

*''Sports Illustrated''
Sportsman of the Year Since its inception in 1954, ''Sports Illustrated'' has annually presented the Sportsman of the Year award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Amer ...
 – 1986 *Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award (
United States Sports Academy The United States Sports Academy is a private university focused on sports and located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the academy has provided its ...
(USSA)) – 1989, 2001 *
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award :''There is a separate " Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award". The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the "individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in t ...
(AFCA) –
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
*
AFCA Coach of the Year The AFCA Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The award has had several different sponsors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also b ...
 – 1968, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2005 *
Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award The Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award is an award that is given annually since 1998 to NCAA college football's national coach of the year. The award is voted on by the Associated Press (AP) voters that participate in the we ...
 –
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
*
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, l ...
 –
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
*
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the Football Writers Association of America. The award honors Eddie Robinson, former coach at Grambling State University Grambling State Universit ...
 –
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
,
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
*
George Munger Award The George Munger Award is presented to the NCAA Division I college football coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club. The award was named after former University of Pennsylvania head coach George Munger. People who voted for the winners of ...
(Div. I Coach of the Year) – 1990, 1994, 2005 *
National Football Foundation The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote and develop amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and "developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the dr ...
Distinguished American Award – 1992 *National Football Foundation Gold Medal Award – 2006 *
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award The American Heart Association (AHA) Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards are an annual awards banquet that is hosted each year in January, in Houston, Texas, by the AHA.For a list of American Heart Association offices, by state, go to: There are two awar ...
 –
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
* ''Sporting News'' College Football Coach of the Year – 2005 * The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award –
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
*
Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports inf ...
 –
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
,
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
* Dave McClain Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year – 1994, 2005, 2008 *
NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award The NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award was named in recognition of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States. Presented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the award honors an individual who has provided significant leadersh ...
 – 2011 (revoked by NCAA) On May 16, 2006, Paterno was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
after the National Football Foundation decided to change its rules and allow any coach over the age of 75 to be eligible for the Hall of Fame instead of having to wait until retirement. However, on November 4, 2006, he was injured during a sideline collision during a game against
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. As a result of his injuries, he was unable to travel to the induction ceremonies in New York City and the National Football Foundation announced that he would instead be inducted as a part of the Hall of Fame class of 2007. Paterno was inducted on December 4, 2007, and officially enshrined in a ceremony held July 19, 2008. In 2009, Paterno was named to ''Sporting News'' list of the 50 greatest coaches of all time (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college basketball, and college football). He is listed in position 13. In 2010, the
Maxwell Football Club The Maxwell Football Club (originally called the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia) was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, legendary college player, official, and ...
of Philadelphia established the Joseph V. Paterno Award, to be awarded annually to the college football coach "who has made a positive impact on his university, his players and his community." Following the breaking of the
Penn State child sex abuse scandal The Penn State child sex abuse scandal concerned allegations and subsequent convictions of child sexual abuse committed by Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, over a period of at least fifteen years. ...
the following year, the award was discontinued by the club. Also in 2010, the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
established the Stagg - Paterno Championship Trophy as the annual trophy to be awarded to the winner of the conference football championship. However, on November 14, 2011, the trophy name was changed to the Stagg Championship Trophy in light of the Sandusky child abuse scandal. Paterno was also nominated for the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
. However, in light of the Sandusky child abuse scandal,
United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
s
Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for Pennsylvania since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. representat ...
and
Bob Casey, Jr. Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Casey previously served as Penn ...
, as well as
Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...
Glenn Thompson withdrew their support of Paterno receiving the honor.


Child sex abuse scandal and dismissal

On November 5, 2011, former Penn State
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
Jerry Sandusky Gerald Arthur Sandusky (born January 26, 1944) is an American retired college football coach and convicted serial child molester. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Pa ...
was arrested on 52 counts of
child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...
occurring between 1994 and 2009, including allegations of incidents on the Penn State campus. A 2011 grand jury investigation reported that then-graduate assistant
Mike McQueary Michael Jacob McQueary (born October 10, 1974) is a former American football assistant coach for the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) under head coach Joe Paterno until late in the 2011 football season. McQueary was identified as a ...
told Paterno in 2002 (prosecutors later amended the date to 2001) that he had seen Sandusky abusing a 10-year-old boy in Penn State football's shower facilities. According to the report, Paterno notified Athletic Director
Tim Curley Timothy M. Curley (born April 28, 1954) is a former athletic director for Penn State University. Career Curley was appointed athletic director on December 30, 1993. He succeeded Jim Tarman, for whom he had served as an assistant. During his 18 ...
about the incident, and later notified Gary Schultz, Vice President of Finance and Business, to whom the University Police directly reported. Paterno said McQueary informed him that "he had witnessed an incident in the shower... but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the grand jury report." In his grand jury testimony, Paterno stated that McQueary had described Sandusky "fondling" a young boy in an act he described of a "sexual nature," but stopped short of the rape to which McQueary would later testify. Despite the nature of the 2001 incident and that it later became clear that Curley and other university officials had not reported the allegations to police, Paterno did not then notify police either. Instead, two weeks later, Curley reported that Sandusky's keys to the locker room had been taken away and that the incident was reported to The Second Mile charity. Sandusky was also banned from bringing children onto the Penn State campus. While the prosecutors did not accuse Paterno of any wrongdoing, he was questioned over his apparent failure to follow up on his report to his boss about McQueary's statements.
Pennsylvania Attorney General The Pennsylvania Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro. On August 15, 2016, then-Attorney General Kath ...
Linda Kelly said that Paterno was cooperative with prosecutors and that he met his statutory responsibility to report the 2001 incident to school administrators. Under Pennsylvania state law at the time, any state employee who learned about suspected child abuse was required to report the incident to his immediate supervisor. In the case of the 2001 incident, McQueary reported the incident to Paterno, who was his immediate supervisor. In turn, Paterno reported the incident to ''his'' immediate supervisor, Athletic Director Tim Curley, who then reported it to Gary Schultz, former Senior Vice President for Business and Finance, a position to which the University Police Department directly reported. (Schultz failed to notify his subordinate, the Director of University Police.) For these reasons, Paterno did not come under criminal suspicion.Drehs, Wayne
Coach may have whistle-blower status
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, November 11, 2011.
Pennsylvania State Police The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both traffic and cr ...
Commissioner Frank Noonan, however, criticized Paterno for not doing enough to stop Sandusky's crimes. Noonan stated that while Paterno may have done what he was legally required to do, anyone with knowledge of possible sexual abuse against minors had "moral requirements" to notify police. On the night of November 8, hundreds of students gathered in front on Paterno's home in support of the beleaguered coach. Paterno thanked the crowd and said, "The kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. It's a tough life when people do certain things to you." As Paterno began walking back into his home with the crowd chanting "Let Joe Stay," he turned around to instead lead the crowd in "We are Penn State" cheers, which unnamed members of the Penn State Board of Trustees viewed as insensitive. Within days of the scandal breaking in full, speculation was rife that Paterno would not be allowed to return as head coach. On November 9, Paterno announced that he would retire at the end of the season, stating: Later that evening, however, the Board of Trustees voted to terminate Paterno's contract, effective immediately. They considered but ultimately rejected the idea of letting Paterno finish out the season, saying that growing outrage at the situation would have made it impossible for him to be effective as coach.Kennedy, Sam; McGill, Andrew
Trustee: Media frenzy forced board's hand
''
The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
'', November 10, 2011.
Unable to reach Paterno personally due to the crowd around his house and not wanting Paterno to find out through the media, the board notified him of their decision over the telephone.Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees
"Report of the Board of Trustees concerning Nov. 9 decisions"
''Penn State Live'', March 12, 2012.
Tom Bradley, Sandusky's successor as defensive coordinator, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2011 season. At the same meeting, university president
Graham Spanier Graham Basil Spanier (born July 18, 1948) is a South African-born American sociologist and university administrator who became the 16th president of Pennsylvania State University on September 1, 1995. On November 9, 2011, in the wake of the Pen ...
resigned rather than face being fired as well. That night, several thousand Penn State students chanting Paterno's name rioted in the streets, hurling rocks, tearing down street signs, and overturning a news van. Paterno supporters and family members continued to harshly criticize the board's actions in the months following his death, prompting the board in March 2012 to release an additional statement explaining their decision. In it, the board said that it opted to remove Paterno after finding that "his decision to do his minimum legal duty and not to do more to follow up constituted a failure of leadership." The board had earlier said there were three key reasons for his firing: his failure to do more when told about a suspected sexual assault by Jerry Sandusky; what the Board of Trustees regarded as his questioning of the board's authority in the days after Sandusky's arrest; and what the board determined to be his inability to effectively continue coaching in the face of continuing questions surrounding the program. However, in late 2014 and early 2015, court depositions by trustees
Kenneth Frazier Kenneth Carleton Frazier (born December 17, 1954) is an American business executive. He is executive chairman and former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside of North America). After joining Merck & Co. as general ...
and Keith Masser conflicted with the "failure of leadership" story. Masser stated, "The decision to remove Coach Paterno had nothing to do with what he had known, what he hadn't done. It was based upon the distraction of having him on the sidelines would have caused the university and the current football team harm. It had nothing to do with what Coach Paterno had done, or hadn't done."


Posthumous findings

Former
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
director
Louis Freeh Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) is an American attorney and former judge who served as the fifth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001. Graduated from Rutgers University and New York Universi ...
and his firm, including a team of former federal prosecutors and FBI agents, were hired by the Penn State Board of Trustees to conduct an independent investigation into the scandal. In the opinion of writer Michael Sokolove, the mission Freeh was given seemed to speculate that Sandusky's crimes were not his alone and that people who had reason to suspect him had looked away. After interviewing over 400 people and reviewing voluminous documents, the investigation team reported that Paterno, Spanier, Curley, and Schultz (none of whom was interviewed) concealed Sandusky's actions in order to protect the publicity surrounding Penn State's celebrated football program. Freeh's firm's investigation concluded that by their actions, the four men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade." The report asserted that Paterno, Schultz, Spanier, and Curley "concealed Sandusky's activities from the Board of Trustees, the University community and authorities." Freeh's investigators discovered an email between Curley and Schultz regarding a previous incident between Sandusky and another child in 1998 that the district attorney declined to prosecute after an investigation by State College police and an evaluation by the Department of Public Welfare. On May 13, 1998, in an email with the subject "Jerry," Curley asked Schultz, "Anything new in this department? Coach is anxious to know where it stands." Curley testified more than nineteen years later in the 2017 criminal trial against Spanier that the "coach" who wanted to know where it stands was Paterno. Before a grand jury in 2011, when Paterno was asked, other than the 2001 incident that Mike McQueary reported to him, whether he knew of any other inappropriate sexual conduct by Sandusky with young boys, Paterno testified, "I do not know of anything else that Jerry would be involved in of that nature, no. I do not know of it. You did mention — I think you said something about a rumor. It may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody. I don't know. I don't remember, and I could not honestly say I heard a rumor." Freeh's team also discovered a 2001 email from Curley about the subsequent 2001 incident in which McQueary witnessed Sandusky with a boy in the Penn State showers. On February 25, Curley, Schultz, and Spanier decided to have Curley report McQueary's information to the state Department of Public Welfare. On February 26, Curley had a conversation with Paterno. (Curley testified in 2017, "I don't recall the specific conversation or what his aterno'sreaction was.") On February 27, Curley emailed Spanier and Schultz that he was "having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved". (In 2017 he testified that was his opinion. "I wanted the first step to be a meeting with Jerry Sandusky.") Curley, Schultz and Spanier then agreed to report the incident to both the Department of Public Welfare and the Second Mile if Sandusky did not cooperate and get professional help (i.e., rather than not reporting the incident to authorities outside the university, reporting to the Department of Public Welfare was still part of the plan). In his press release, Freeh wrote to the contrary that "the only known, intervening factor between the decision made on February 25, 2001 by Messrs. Spanier, Curley and Schulz to report the incident to the Department of Public Welfare, and then s alleged by Freehagreeing not to do so on February 27th, was Mr. Paterno's February 26th conversation with Mr. Curley." Freeh's mischaracterization of the February 27 email was widely inferred by the press to mean that Paterno had persuaded Curley (and Schultz and Spanier) not to report the incident to authorities outside the university. In addition, the Freeh report said that even after Sandusky's retirement in 1999, Paterno, Schultz, Spanier, and Curley "empowered Sandusky to attract potential victims to the campus and football events by allowing him to have continued, unrestricted and unsupervised access to the University's facilities and affiliation with the University's prominent football program." Sandusky's access was part of the retirement agreement between the University and Sandusky: "The university will permit you to use, at no charge, a locker, weight rooms, fitness facilities and training room in the East Area locker room complex. This benefit will continue for the balance of your lifetime," and "For a period of ten years commencing July 1, 1999 and subject to renewal upon concurrence of both parties you will be given an office and a phone in the East Area Locker room complex ..." The agreement was signed by Curley and Schultz along with Sandusky on June 29, 1999. Following the release of the Freeh report,
Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...
removed Paterno's name from the Joe Paterno Child Development Center, a child care facility at the company's headquarters in
Beaverton, Oregon Beaverton is a city in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Oregon with a small portion bordering Portland in the Tualatin Valley. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was 97,494 at the ...
.
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, Paterno's alma mater, announced that it would remove Paterno's name from its annual award honoring outstanding male freshman athletes and stated his status in the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame would be placed under review. On July 14, 2012, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that in January 2011, Paterno opened "surprise" negotiations to prematurely end his contract with an additional $3 million early retirement payout, prior to public knowledge of the scandal. Although his contract was not up for negotiation until the end of 2011, Paterno initiated negotiations with his superiors to amend his contract in January 2011, the same month he was notified of the police investigation. By August 2011, Paterno and his attorneys had reached a deal with the PSU Board for a total package worth $5.5 million, including a $3 million cash payout, forgiveness of a $350,000 interest-free loan issued by the university, and the use of a private box at Beaver Stadium and a private jet for 25 years, if he agreed the 2011 season would be his last. Ultimately, the board rejected Paterno's offer to resign at the end of the 2011 season. But following Paterno's firing, faced with hate mail and a threat of a defamation lawsuit by Paterno's family, the Board agreed to give Paterno and his family the $5.5 million package, which included additional perks for the family. A lawyer for the family said that Penn State proposed the retirement package. After the Freeh report's release, critics called for the removal of the
Joe Paterno statue ''Joe Paterno'' is a bronze sculpture of Joe Paterno, former head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. It was located on the northeast side of Beaver Stadium on the campus of the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Penn ...
outside
Beaver Stadium Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. It has been home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference since 1960, though some parts of ...
. A small plane towed a banner over campus, reading ''Take the Statue Down or We Will''. After some days of mixed messages,Thomas, Taylor
"Penn State to remove Paterno Statue this weekend"
''MarketWatch'', July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
the school removed the statue on Sunday, July 22, in front of a crowd of student onlookers. The statue was reportedly put in storage. Spanier's successor as president, Rodney Erickson, said the statue had become "a source of division and an obstacle to healing" but made a distinction between it and the #Philanthropy and education, Paterno Library, also on campus. On July 23, two weeks after the release of the Freeh report, the NCAA punished Penn State with some of the most severe sanctions ever handed down in the history of collegiate athletics. Penn State was fined $60 million, stripped of 40 total scholarships from 2013 to 2017, banned from postseason play until 2016, and vacated all 112 of its wins dating back to 1998. This included the removal of Paterno's last 111 wins at Penn State, dropping him from first to 12th on the all-time wins list. (In early 2015 the wins were restored.) The NCAA reported that "Penn State's leadership failed to value and uphold institutional integrity, breaching both the NCAA Constitution and Division I rules", and that the NCAA "intended to remediate the 'sports is king' culture that led to failures in leadership". The NCAA report harshly criticized Paterno for his role in an alleged cover-up of Sandusky's crimes, saying that Paterno, Spanier, Schultz, and Curley had demonstrated "a failure of institutional and individual integrity". Although this action was outside the normal process for investigating major violations, the NCAA said this action was merited because the alleged cover-up violated basic principles of intercollegiate athletics that were over and above specific policies. In a September 2013 interview with the CBS show ''60 Minutes'', Sandusky prosecutor Frank Fina was asked if he believed Joe Paterno was involved in the alleged cover-up. Fina stated, "I do not. And I'm viewing this strictly on the evidence, not any kind of fealty to anybody. I did not find that evidence."


Response to the Freeh Report

On September 13, 2012, a group of alumni and supporters called Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship released a review of the Freeh Report that was critical of the Freeh Group's investigation and conclusions. In February 2013, Paterno's family released a report written by Dick Thornburgh, a former U.S. attorney general and Pennsylvania governor, disputing Freeh's investigative methods and the portrayal of Paterno in his findings, calling the Freeh report a "rush to injustice". Thornburgh concluded that the Freeh report was "seriously flawed, both with respect to the process of [its] investigation and its findings related to Mr. Paterno". In response, Freeh called the Paterno family's report "self-serving" and said that it did not change the facts and findings of his initial investigation. NBC Sports, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas said, "What Freeh did was not only gather facts but he reached a conclusion which is at least debatable from those facts and then he assigned a motivation, not only to Curley and Schultz and Spanier, but he specifically assigned a very dark motivation to Joe Paterno, which seems like it might be quite a leap. ... A reasonable person will conclude that there is some doubt here and that the other side of the story deserves to be heard." Similarly Todd Blackledge, ESPN college football analyst and former Penn State quarterback, noted on the media coverage, "it felt like the media felt at liberty to just connect [] all those dots, whether they had facts. Based on whatever information they had, they were going to connect the dots and tell a story. And it had tremendous momentum. Because of the serious and horrendous nature of the allegations against Jerry, that narrative went pretty much unopposed." In 2014 NCAA internal emails revealed that the NCAA worked closely with Louis Freeh in his investigation of the Sandusky scandal. In addition, emails revealed that many in the NCAA questioned whether they had the authority to sanction Penn State and that some officials wanted to "bluff" Penn State's leadership into accepting a severe punishment, because they believed that they did not have the authority to punish Penn State. On the day the Freeh Report was released, Oregon State president Edward John Ray, Ed Ray, chairman of the NCAA's Executive Committee, sent an e-mail to NCAA president Mark Emmert, his deputy, and the former enforcement head of the NCAA that directed them to come up with a way to sanction Penn State. Freeh had maintained publicly that his investigation was entirely independent and would include "no favoritism". This was criticized by Pennsylvania state Senator
Jake Corman Jacob Doyle Corman III (born September 9, 1964) is an American politician and former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate 1999 to 2022, holding the same seat his father, Doyle Corman, prev ...
, who claimed, "There clearly is a significant amount of communication between Freeh and the NCAA that goes way beyond merely providing information. I'd call it coordination ... Clearly, Freeh went way past his mandate. He was the enforcement person for the NCAA. That's what it looks like. I don't know how you can look at it any other way. It's almost like the NCAA hired him to do their enforcement investigation on Penn State. At a minimum, it is inappropriate. At a maximum, these were two parties working together to get an outcome that was predetermined." NCAA Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs Kevin Lennon wrote in another email from July 14 that the NCAA was "banking on the fact the school is so embarrassed they will do anything" before interim Penn State president Rodney Erickson signed the consent decree. In January 2013, Senator Corman and state treasurer Rob McCord used the Freeh report as a basis to sue the NCAA, arguing that the $60 million fine should be kept to assist victims of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania, instead of allowing it to be spread to programs beyond the state's boundaries. On May 30, 2013, the Paterno family and members of the Penn State community (though not the university itself) filed a lawsuit in the Centre County Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Court of Common Pleas in an attempt to overturn sanctions against the school. The lawsuit asserted that the NCAA and the other defendants breached their contractual obligations, violated their duties of good faith and fair dealing, intentionally interfered with contractual relations, and defamed and/or commercially disparaged the individuals filing the lawsuit. On January 16, 2015, the NCAA agreed to a settlement, removing the probationary period imposed on Penn State and restoring Paterno's 111 wins between 1998 and 2011. Corman proclaimed, "Today is a victory for due process which was not afforded in this case. Today is a victory for the people of Pennsylvania. Today is a victory for Penn State nation." A year after the report was issued, the chairman of the Penn State Board of Trustees, which had originally commissioned the report, said that Freeh's conclusions amounted to "speculation." In a January 2015 interview with the Associated Press, Penn State President Eric Barron said, "I have to say, I'm not a fan of the report. There's no doubt in my mind, Freeh steered everything as if he were a prosecutor trying to convince a court to take the case." On July 12, 2016,
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
reported that Joe Paterno knew of Sandusky's abuse in 1976.


Views on college football issues

Paterno was a long-time advocate for some type of college football playoff system. The question was posed to him frequently over the years, as only one of his five undefeated teams was voted national champion. The college football playoff system would become a reality three years after Paterno's exit from the game. Paterno believed that scholarship college athletes should receive a modest stipend so that they have some spending money. As justification, Paterno pointed out that many scholarship athletes came from poor families and that other students had time to hold down a part-time job, whereas busy practice and conditioning schedules prevented college athletes from working during the school year. Paterno initially preferred not to play Redshirt (college sports), true freshmen, but later in his career he did play redshirts in order to refrain from being at a competitive disadvantage. Some Penn State recruits, like recruits at many other schools, now graduate from high school a semester early so that they can enroll in college during the spring semester and participate in spring practice. Several team members from the recruiting class of 2005, including Justin King (American football), Justin King, Anthony Scirrotto, and Derrick Williams (American football), Derrick Williams, received considerable playing time as true freshmen during the 2005–2006 season. In 2010, Paterno and former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka suggested that concussions and other injuries in the NFL and college football might be reduced if face masks were eliminated. Penn State's football players were twice recognized for outstanding academic performance by the New America Foundation's Academic Bowl Championship Series while under the leadership of Paterno. The team was ranked number one out of the top 25 ranked BCS teams in 2009 and 2011. The criteria in the rankings include the graduation rate of the team as compared to the rest of university, the difference between the graduation rate of African-American players and the rest of the squad as well as the same statistics for the rest of the students at Penn State, and the graduation rate differences between the African American players and students.


Officiating and instant replay

In 2002, 76-year-old Paterno chased down referee Dick Honig in a dead sprint following a 42–35 overtime home loss to Iowa. Paterno saw Tony Johnson (wide receiver), Tony Johnson catch a pass for a first down with both feet in bounds on the stadium's video replay board, but the play was ruled an incompletion. This being after Penn State had rallied from a 35–13 deficit with 9 minutes left in the game to tie the score at 35, and were driving on their first possession in overtime (a touchdown would have tied the game at 42). Penn State failed on fourth down and Iowa held on for the win. Just weeks later, in the final minute of the Michigan game, the same wide receiver, Johnson, made a catch that would have given Penn State a first down and put them in range for a game-winning field goal. Although Johnson was ruled out of bounds, replays clearly showed that Johnson had both feet in bounds and the catch should have been ruled complete. In 2004, the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
became the first college football conference to adopt a form of instant replay. The previous two incidents, along with Paterno's public objections, and the Big Ten's 2001 Michigan vs. Michigan State football game, Clockgate controversy, are often cited as catalysts for its adoption. Within the next year, almost all of the Division I-A conferences adopted a form of instant replay based on the Big Ten model.


Outside of football


Philanthropy and education

After the announcement of his appointment as head coach in 1966, Paterno set out to conduct what he called a "Grand Experiment" in melding athletics and academics in the collegiate environment, an idea that he had learned during his years at Brown. As a result, Penn State's players have consistently demonstrated above-average academic success compared to Division I (NCAA), Division I-A schools nationwide. According to the NCAA's 2008 Graduation Rates Report, Penn State's four-year Graduation Success Rate of 78% easily exceeds the 67% Division I (NCAA), Division I average, second to only Northwestern University, Northwestern among Big Ten Conference, Big Ten institutions. In 2011, Penn State football players had an 80% graduation rate and showed no achievement gap between its black and white players, which is extremely rare for Division I football teams. The New American Foundation ranked Penn State No. 1 in its 2011 Academic Bowl Championship Series. Paterno was also renowned for his charitable contributions to academics at Penn State. He and his wife Sue have contributed over $4 million towards various departments and colleges, including support for the Penn State All-Sports Museum, which opened in 2002, and the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, which opened in 2003. After helping raise over $13.5 million in funds for the 1997 expansion of Pattee Library, the university named the expansion Paterno Library in their honor. In 2007, former player Franco Harris and his company R Super Foods honored Paterno for his contributions to Penn State by featuring his story and picture on boxes of Super Donuts and Super Buns in Central PA. A portion of the sales will be donated to an endowment fund for the university library that bears his name. Paterno also attended the annual Penn State Dance Marathon, a popular weekend-long charity event and the largest student-run philanthropy in the world (it raised over $10 million in 2012), every year to raise money for kids with cancer.


Political interests

Paterno was a political American conservatism, conservative and a personal friend of President of the United States, President George H. W. Bush. He campaigned for Bush door-to-door in the 1988 Republican Party presidential primaries, 1988 New Hampshire primary, and seconded his nomination at the 1988 Republican National Convention, Republican National Convention. Paterno was also a close friend of President Gerald R. Ford, and introduced President George W. Bush at a campaign rally before the 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 presidential election. Before the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1974, 1974 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, a group of Pennsylvania Republican Party leaders briefly considered Paterno for Andrew L. Lewis, Jr., Andrew Lewis' ticket as the candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, lieutenant governor. In 2004, his son Scott Paterno, an attorney, won the Republican Party (United States), Republican primary for Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district but lost in the November general election to Democratic Party (United States), Democratic incumbent Tim Holden. "I brought my kids up to think for themselves since day one," Joe Paterno said in 2008. "I got a son who's a Republican, who ran for Congress, Scott. I'm a Republican. I've got a son, Jay Paterno, Jay, who's for Obama. I've got a daughter, who I'm pretty sure she's going to be for Hillary [Clinton]. So God bless America."


Personal life

While serving as an assistant coach, Paterno met freshman coed Sue Paterno, Suzanne Pohland at the campus library; she was a Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe native 13 years his junior and an English literature honors student. They married in 1962, the year she graduated. They had five children: Diana, Jay Paterno, Joseph Jr. "Jay", Mary Kay, David, and Scott. All of their children are Penn State graduates, and Jay Paterno was the quarterbacks coach at Penn State until his departure following the hiring of new head coach Bill O'Brien (American football), Bill O'Brien on January 7, 2012. The Paternos had 17 grandchildren. Paterno was a longtime summer resident of Avalon, New Jersey. Paterno and his wife co-authored the children's book ''We Are Penn State!'', which takes place during a typical Penn State homecoming weekend.


Deteriorating health and death

In November 2006, Paterno was involved in a sideline collision during a game against Wisconsin Badgers football, Wisconsin. He was unable to avoid the play and was struck in the knee by Badgers linebacker DeAndre Levy's helmet. Paterno, then 79 years old, suffered a fractured shin bone and damage to knee ligaments. He coached the 2007 Outback Bowl from the press box before making a full recovery. In November 2008, Paterno had successful hip replacement surgery after spraining his leg while trying to demonstrate onside kicks during a practice session. While recovering, he coached the remainder of the season and the 2009 Rose Bowl from the press box. After sustaining these injuries, he made use of a golf cart to move around the field during practices. Paterno was injured again in August 2011, after colliding with a player during practice. He sustained hairline fractures to his hip and shoulder. No surgery was required, but Paterno began the 2011 regular season schedule in a wheelchair. On November 18, 2011, just nine days after his dismissal from Penn State, Paterno's son Scott reported that his father had a treatable form of
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
. On January 13, 2012, Paterno was hospitalized in State College for complications relating to his cancer treatment, and he remained there until his death nine days later on January 22, 2012; his death came 74 days after his dismissal from Penn State. His death resulted in tributes from prominent leaders in the U.S., including former President George H. W. Bush, who called Paterno "an outstanding American who was respected not only on the field of play but in life generally—and he was, without a doubt, a true icon in the world of sports." Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said of Paterno, "His legacy as the winningest coach in major college football and his generosity to Penn State as an institution and to his players, stand as monuments to his life. ... His place in our state's history is secure." On January 23, Corbett ordered all state flags to be lowered to half staff in Paterno's honor. At the time of his death, Penn State was still finalizing Paterno's retirement package. Paterno's funeral was held in State College on January 25, 2012. About 750 mourners attended the private ceremony, after which thousands of mourners lined the route of the funeral procession. Paterno was buried in Spring Creek Presbyterian Cemetery just outside the town. Approximately 12,000 people attended a public memorial service that was held at the Bryce Jordan Center on January 26, 2012.


Head coaching record

At the time of his death, Paterno had accumulated a record of 409 wins, 136 losses, and 3 ties. However, on July 23, 2012, the NCAA officially vacated 111 of Paterno's wins based on the findings of the Freeh report regarding his involvement in the Penn State sex abuse scandal. All wins dating back to 1998 were vacated, the year Paterno was first informed of Sandusky's suspected child abuse. Based on the criteria used by the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
, Paterno no longer held the record for most victories by an NCAA Division I football coach. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden held the NCAA major college record for wins at 377, while for NCAA Division I schools, Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson (American football coach), Eddie Robinson's 408 victories stood as the official record. The 111 wins were restored on January 16, 2015, as a part of a settlement between the NCAA and Penn State, once again making him the most victorious coach in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS NCAA football history.


Coaching tree

Assistant coaches under Paterno that became NFL or NCAA head coaches: * Dick Anderson (American football, born 1941), Dick Anderson: Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers (1984-1989) * Jamie Barresi: Ottawa Gee-Gees, Ottawa (2013-2019) * Bill Bowes (American football), Bill Bowes: New Hampshire Wildcats football, New Hampshire (1992-1998) * Tom Bradley; Penn State Nittany Lions football, Penn State (2011, interim) * Darryl Bullock: North Carolina Central Eagles football, North Carolina Central (2010, interim) * Kenny Carter (American football), Kenny Carter: Delaware State Hornets football, Delaware State (2015-2017) * Craig Cirbus: Buffalo Bulls football, Buffalo (1995-2000) * Jim Caldwell (American football), Jim Caldwell: Wake Forest Demon Deacons football, Wake Forest (1993-2000), Indianapolis Colts (2009-2011), Detroit Lions (2014-2017) * Ron Dickerson: Temple Owls football, Temple (1993-1997), Alabama State Hornets football, Alabama State (1998-1999), Lambuth University, Lambuth (2010) * Greg Gattuso: Duquesne Dukes football, Duquesne (1993–2004), Albany Great Danes football, Albany (2014–present) * Al Golden: Temple Owls football, Temple (2006-2010), Miami Hurricanes football, Miami (2011-2015) * Larry Johnson (American football coach), Larry Johnson: Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State (2021, acting) * George Landis: Bloomsburg Huskies football (1982-1985), Bucknell Bison football, Bucknell (1986-1988) * Joe McMullen: San Jose State Spartans football, San Jose State (1969-1970) * Dave Opfar: Saint Francis Red Flash football, Sain Francis (2002-2009) * John Rosenberg (American football), John Rosenberg: Brown Bears football, Brown (1984-1989) * Matt Rhule: Temple Owls football, Temple (2013–2016), Baylor Bears football, Baylor (2017–2019), Carolina Panthers (2020–2022), Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska (2023–present) * Rip Scherer: James Madison Dukes football, James Madison (1991-1994), Memphis Tigers football, Memphis (1995-2000) * Greg Schiano: Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers (2001–2011, 2020–present), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012–2013) * Paul Shaffner: Glenville State Pioneers, Glenville State (2000-2003), Buffalo State Bengals football, Buffalo State (2004-2008) * Frank Spaziani: Boston College Eagles (2009-2012) * Bob Tucker (coach), Bob Tucker: Wooster Fighting Scots football, Wooster (1985-1994) * Jim Weaver (athletic director), Jim Weaver: Villanova Wildcats football, Villanova (1974, acting) * George Welsh (American football), George Welsh: Navy Midshipmen football, Navy (1973-1981), Virginia Cavaliers football, Virginia (1982-2000) * Earnest Wilson: Savannah State Tigers football, Savannah State (2013-2015), Elizabeth City State Vikings, Elizabeth City (2015-2016)


See also

* List of college football coaches with 200 wins * List of college football coaches with 30 seasons * List of College Football Hall of Fame inductees (coaches)


Notes


References


External links


Penn State profile
* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Paterno, Joe Joe Paterno, 1926 births 2012 deaths 21st-century American writers American children's writers American men's basketball players American football cornerbacks American football quarterbacks American male writers United States Army personnel of World War II American sportspeople of Italian descent Brooklyn Preparatory School alumni Brown Bears football players Brown Bears men's basketball players Burials in Pennsylvania Coaches of American football from New York (state) College Football Hall of Fame inductees Deaths from lung cancer in Pennsylvania Military personnel from New York City Penn State Nittany Lions athletic directors Penn State Nittany Lions football coaches Pennsylvania Republicans People of Calabrian descent People from Avalon, New Jersey People from Flatbush, Brooklyn People from State College, Pennsylvania Players of American football from New York (state) Sportspeople from Brooklyn Writers from Brooklyn Writers from Pennsylvania Catholics from New York (state) Catholics from Pennsylvania Catholics from New Jersey