He was perhaps the greatest college football coach of all time. But controversial events revealed over the past few months are sure to taint his legacy for perpetuity.
Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died Sunday morning at the age of 85, after complications from his battle with lung cancer.
Affectionately known as “JoePa,” Joseph Vincent Paterno began his 46-season tenure as Penn State’s head coach in 1966 after serving as assistant coach for 16 years. His teams won a record 409 games over that span with 5 undefeated and untied seasons and 2 national championships. He was the all-time winningest coach in major college football history and his players had one of the highest graduation rates in the country among athletes.
But JoePa’s illustrious career took a major hit last fall when a grand jury report alleged that his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, had sexually assaulted at least 8 underage boys over the course of 15 years — some while he was an assistant coach at Penn State. Following that report, other alleged victims also came forward, and it was revealed that Paterno reportedly knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it so as to protect the fabled football program.
Penn State fired JoePa for his silence, prompting the student body to respond with a string of violent and embarrassing riots in the streets of State College, PA. “With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more,” the coach said in a November 9th statement.
A broken hip had confined Paterno to a wheelchair over the past 2 months. But a broken trust strained Paterno’s relationship with university trustees, prompted a proud college community to take sides and left a great football legacy with a rather unhappy ending.
JOE PATERNO’S LAST INTERVIEW:
