The day was always on the horizon. Joe Paterno, Penn State head football coach since 1966, is 84 after all. But this was never the way Penn State fans imagined their beloved JoePa leaving the program, amid turmoil and scandal.
Paterno announced Wednesday that he would leave the Nittany Lions football program at the end of the season, not because he was too old or because he didn’t have the fire inside him to coach another game, but because of a child sex abuse scandal involving a longtime assistant coach.
Penn State prided itself on being one of two Division I programs to have never been investigated for any major infractions by the NCAA. Paterno’s team motto, “Success with Honor” echoed this sentiment of morality.
Now this sentiment seems almost ironic as a growing scandal continues to be illuminated.
Paterno told media members Wednesday that he wanted to finish his 46th season with “dignity and determination,” though the university's board of trustees still could force him to leave sooner.
This decision to retire brings to an end one of the most storied tenures in all of sports. Paterno has led Penn State to 409 victories in his career, a record for major college football. He has also won two national titles and holds the records for most bowl wins with 24.
Paterno’s Nittany Lions are 8-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming to SEC powerhouse Alabama. Penn State, ranked 12 in the AP poll is set to face off with 19th ranked Nebraska, followed by Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Wisconsin to end the season.
With Paterno at the helm, Penn State has a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship on December 3 with a Rose Bowl berth on the line. Without Paterno for the first time in nearly 50 years, who knows what will happen to the Nittany Lions over the rest of the season.
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