Joe Paterno
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Joe Paterno
Sport(s) Football
Biographical details
Born December 21, 1926
Place of birth Brooklyn, New York
Died January 22, 2012 (aged 85)
Place of death State College, Pennsylvania
Playing career
1946–1949 Brown
Position(s) Quarterback, cornerback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1950–1965 Penn State (assistant)
1966–2011 Penn State
Head coaching record
Overall 409–136–3
Bowls 24–12–1
Statistics
College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 National (1982, 1986)
3 Big Ten (1994, 2005, 2008)
Awards
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1986)
5x AFCA COY (1968, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2005)
3x Walter Camp COY (1972, 1994, 2005)
3x Eddie Robinson COY (1978, 1982, 1986)
2x Bobby Dodd COY (1981, 2005)
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1986)
3x George Munger Award (1990, 1994, 2005)
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2002)
The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award (2005)
Sporting News College Football COY (2005)
3x Big Ten Coach of the Year (1994, 2005, 2008)
Records
Most Division I-A/FBS wins (409)
Most bowl wins (24)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2007 (profile)
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno (pronounced /pəˈtɜrnoʊ/; December 21, 1926 – January
22, 2012) was an American college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn
State Nittany Lions for 46 years, from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa",
holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl
Subdivision (FBS) football coach with 409 and is the only FBS coach to reach 400
victories.[1] He coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl games and, in 2007,
was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.
Paterno was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brown University, where he
played football both as the quarterback and a cornerback. Originally planning to be a
lawyer, he instead signed on as an assistant football coach at Penn State in 1950,
persuaded by his college coach Rip Engle who had taken over as Penn State's head coach.
Fifteen years later, in 1965, Paterno was named as Engle's successor. Before long, he had
coached the team to two undefeated regular seasons in 1968 and 1969. He went on to win
two national championships—in 1982 and again in 1986. In all, he led the Nittany Lions
to 37 bowl appearances with 24 wins all while turning down offers to coach NFL teams,
including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. After 46 years as head
coach, Paterno was named the winningest coach in Division I history in late 2011. In
November, his long-time assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with
child sexual abuse; in the wake of perceived inaction in dealing with the allegations,
Paterno was fired.[2][3]
During his 61 years at Penn State, Paterno became a beloved figure in the college
community. He was well known for his distinct game-day image, particularly his thick,
square glasses. The emphasis that he placed on ethics and moral conduct and his
philosophy on football, to meld athletics and academics, were signatures of his coaching
style. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4 million to Penn State, and funded the
school's library that bears their names. Paterno died of complications from lung cancer on
January 22, 2012.
Early life
Paterno was born December 21, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, and throughout his life he
spoke with a marked Brooklyn accent. His family is of Italian ancestry. In 1944, Paterno
graduated from the defunct Brooklyn Preparatory School. Six weeks later he was drafted
into the Army. Paterno spent a year in the service and spent time in Korea before being
discharged in time to start the 1946 school year at Brown University where his tuition
was paid for by Busy Arnold.[4][5]
He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Upsilon chapter).[6] He played
quarterback and cornerback, and as of 2012 shares the career record for interceptions
with Greg Parker at 14.[7] Paterno graduated with the Brown University Class of 1950.
Although his father asked, "For God's sake, what did you go to college for?" after hearing
of his career choice,[8] Paterno joined his college coach Rip Engle as an assistant coach at
Penn State in 1950; Engle had coached five seasons, 1944–1949, at Brown. Engle retired
after the 1965 season, and Paterno was named his successor.
Tenure as head coach
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 any university. The 2009
season was Paterno's 44th as head coach of the Nittany Lions, passing Amos Alonzo
Stagg for the most years as head coach at a single institution in Division I.[9]
Paterno was well-known for his gameday image—thick glasses, rolled-up pants (by his
admission, to save on cleaning bills), white socks and Brooklyn-tinged speech.[10]
Reflecting the growth in Penn State's stature during his tenure, Beaver Stadium was
expanded six times during his tenure, more than doubling in size in the process (from
46,284 in 1966 to 106,572 in 2001).
The Pittsburgh Steelers offered their head coach position to Paterno in 1969, an offer he
considered seriously. The Steelers hired Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls in his
first 11 years, and coached for an additional twelve seasons.
Joe Paterno and Temple Coach Wayne Hardin in 1988
The New York Giants reportedly offered Paterno their head coaching spot numerous
times during the team's struggles during the 1970s and early 1980s.
Michigan Athletic Director Don Canham contacted Paterno in 1969 to see if Paterno
(whom Canham respected and knew personally) would accept the vacant Michigan job.
Paterno turned down the offer and Michigan hired Bo Schembechler. In 1972, Paterno
was offered the head coaching position by the New England Patriots. He accepted their
offer, but only three weeks later decided to back out of it. The Patriots hired Chuck
Fairbanks of Oklahoma instead.
In 1995, Paterno was forced to apologize for a profanity-laced tirade directed at Rutgers
then-head coach Doug Graber at the conclusion of a nationally televised game.[11] He was
also accused of "making light of sexual assault" in 2006 by the National Organization for
Women which called for his resignation,[12] and was involved in a road rage incident in
2007.[13]
After five years of court battles, the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System
(SERS) revealed Paterno's salary in November 2007: $512,664. He was paid $490,638 in
2006.[14] The figure was not inclusive of other compensation, such as money from
television and apparel contracts as well as other bonuses that Paterno and other football
bowl subdivision coaches earned, said Robert Gentzel, SERS communications director.
The release of these amounts can only come at the university's approval, which Penn
State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said will not happen. "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."
In 2008, due to a litany of football players' off-the-field legal problems, including 46
Penn State football players having faced 163 criminal charges according to an ESPN
analysis of Pennsylvania court records and reports dating to 2002,[15] ESPN questioned
Joe Paterno's and the university's control over the Penn State football program by
producing and airing an ESPN's Outside the Lines feature covering the subject.[16]
Paterno was criticized for his response dismissing the allegations as a "witch hunt", and
chiding reporters for asking about problems.[17]
On November 6, 2010, Paterno recorded his 400th career victory with a 35–21 victory
over Northwestern. Facing a 21–0 deficit, Penn State scored 35 unanswered points, tying
Paterno's largest comeback victory as a coach.
On October 29, 2011, Paterno recorded his 409th career victory with a 10–7 victory over
Illinois. Facing a 7–3 deficit, Penn State drove 86 yards on their final drive to score a
touchdown. A missed 42-yard field goal by Illinois which would have sent the game to
overtime secured Paterno's 409th victory. With this victory, Paterno passed Eddie
Robinson to become the winningest head coach in Division I college football. At the
time, he trailed the leader, the still-active John Gagliardi of Division III Saint John's
University (Minnesota), by 73 wins.
Bowls and championships
Paterno runs out with his team before the start of a game, September 2007
Paterno held more bowl victories (24) than any coach in history. He also topped the list
of bowl appearances with 37.[18] He had a bowl record of 24 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie
following a defeat in the 2011 Outback Bowl. Paterno was the only 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. Under Paterno, Penn State won
at least three bowl games each decade since 1970.
Paterno led Penn State to two national championships (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.
Penn State under Paterno won the Orange Bowl (1968, 1969, 1973, and 2005), the Cotton
Bowl Classic (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, 2006) and the Alamo Bowl (1999 and 2007).
After Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference 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.