Heck No, Penn State’s JoePa Won’t Go

Posted on July 14, 2008
Filed Under News, Off The Bench | By Dan Mesure

Oh JoePa, you’re like that old grandfather that raises a ruckus at the Thanksgiving dinner table while everyone just dismisses the words that come out of your mouth. Penn State’s Daily Collegian reports the school’s president denied a report that famed football coach Joe Paterno has a plan in place for his successor. This will be the final season of the 81-year-old coach’s current contract, and questions have arisen about what his future with the program will hold. Paterno has been guiding the Nittany Lions since 1966 and has become the face of the university — big tinted glasses and all.

If the administration even thinks about strong-arming their coaching legend out of Happy Valley, it will be vilified by alumni. The higher-ups at PSU need to let Paterno leave on his own terms. The man has built the entire program into what it is today. If JoePa has a succession plan, then hear him out. And if he needs to leave in the middle of the game because he’s dealing with a “crappy situation,” then let the man leave. The administration owes him that much. Just because the AARP card-holding coach has been roaming the Beaver Stadium sidelines since before Medicare even existed doesn’t mean he should simply be dismissed. There’s no arguing that the guy’s legacy still fills the seats and brings in top recruits.

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