Joe Paterno
Paterno at a 2010 rally
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| Sport(s) | Football |
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| Biographical details | |
| Born |
December 21, 1926 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | January 22, 2012 (aged 85) 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 |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1980–1982 | Penn State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 409–136–3 |
| Bowls | 24–12–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 National (1982, 1986) 3 Big Ten (1994, 2005, 2009) |
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| Awards | |
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Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1986) 5× AFCA COY (1968, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2005) 3× Walter Camp COY (1972, 1994, 2005) 3× Eddie Robinson COY (1978, 1982, 1986) 2× Bobby Dodd COY (1981, 2005) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1986) 3× George Munger Award (1990, 1994, 2005) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2002) Home Depot Coach of the Year Award (2005) Sporting News College Football COY (2005) 3× Big Ten Coach of the Year (1994, 2005, 2008) |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2007 (profile) |
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Joseph Vincent Paterno (/pəˈtɜːrnoʊ/; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as "JoePa", was an American college football player, and later athletic director and coach. He was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. With 409 victories, Paterno is the most victorious coach in NCAA FBS history. His career ended with his dismissal from the team in November, 2011 as a result of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.
Paterno was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brown University, where he played football both ways 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. In 1966, Paterno was named as Engle's successor. He soon coached the team to two undefeated regular seasons in 1968 and 1969. The team won two national championships—in 1982 and 1986. Paterno coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl games and, in 2007, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach. In all, he led the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl appearances with 24 wins while turning down offers to coach National Football League (NFL) teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.
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