It appears that Joe Paterno’s 46 year career as head coach at Penn State is coming to an ignominious end as a casualty of the Sandusky sex scandal. Joe will not be remembered as a coaching football legend who donated large amounts of money to the University. He will be remembered as the coach who passed the buck in 2002 to his superiors when evidence of sexual misconduct was reported (see page 6 of the grand jury indictment).
I graduated from Penn State in 1978 and Paterno was already a legend on campus. Although more details will emerge in the future, I know one fact. JoePa should have gone to the police once it became evident that his superiors were going to whitewash this scandal. Will Joe get a fair shake? Ask the victims of this scandal if they got a fair shake? How can anyone sleep at night for over nine years knowing that a sexual predator is on the loose because they were more concerned about a legacy than morality?
David DeGerolamo
Penn State Said to Be Planning Paterno Exit Amid Scandal
The board of trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that the man who has more victories than any other coach at college football’s top level and who made Penn State a prestigious national brand will not survive to coach another season. Discussions about how to manage his departure have begun, according to the two people.
