By: Holden Rexius
The Hall of Fame and long time Penn State Football coach was pronounced dead Sunday morning on January 22. His death was due to complications from lung cancer.
Paterno has more wins than any other coach in major college football history with 409. As a Penn State head coach for 46 years, Paterno coached the team to five undefeated seasons and two National Titles. Paterno was known not only for his coaching, but also his focus on ethics and morals. Late in 2011 a child sex abuse scandal arose at Penn State. Paterno’s assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexual abuse after a graduate assistant witnessed Sandusky in a Penn State locker room. Paterno along with other school officials were fired.
Paterno had always wanted to end his coaching career on his own terms. Regardless of what happened at the end of his career he will still have more wins than any other coach in FBS history. He will be remembered not only by Penn State fans and alumni, but football fans as a whole.