JoePa Not Doing So Well...
Article on state of Joe Paterno's health... Not looking so good for the guy
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/reporter-on-paterno-should-he-be-driving-…
Couple that with PSU's recruiting class at the bottom of the Big Ten.... maybe it's time for him to pass on the baton. I read somewhere that the guy hasn't gone on a recruiting trip in over a year. It was rumored that was the reason they had those bad years back in the late nineties and early to mid '00s... that JoePa got lazy with recruiting.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^
I read somewhere that the guy hasn't gone on a recruiting trip in over a year.
He was down here in South Carolina for an in-home with Marcus Lattimore last year.
Edit - Nevermind. The visit was scheduled for January 28th, but I had forgotten that the visit never materialized because Lattimore eliminated Penn State from his consideration about a week before the visit.
Paterno's last visit was to recruit Pryor. So yeah, it's been well over a year. http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2010/01/top_running_back_prospect_elim.html
August 16th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^
I don't care if maybe he should've stepped down a few years back... or if he is past his prime, which he obviously has been for a while, this sucks.
Sometimes you just wish the great ones could stick around forever. I love how foreward thinking he's been in recent years, totally supporting the Nebraska addition and wanting to start things up with Pitt again.
He's going to leave some pretty damn big shoes behind for someone to try and fill....
August 17th, 2010 at 7:09 AM ^
for at lest a generation or two. The best anyone could hope to do is stand in his shadow.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^
He's never had any use for Pitt, that's why they stopped playing them.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:29 PM ^
Believe it or not, he's actually older than Bo would have been if he were still with us.
The life of a major college football coach is grueling. 83 years old, nearly 3/4 of them putting in 12+ hr days and it's no real surprise he'd hit the wall. Too bad, the guy is an icon.
My only worry now is, will I feel sorry when we crush them this year? I wager "no".
August 16th, 2010 at 8:18 PM ^
JoePa is partly responsible for us getting Bo in 1968. Obviously we'll always be grateful for that.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^
Can you please elaborate on the reason JoePa is partly responsible... this is news to me. Thanks.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
I've heard that JoePa was Canham's first choice.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^
He apparently recommended Bo to Canham.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:56 PM ^
In 1968, Don Canham spent several months trying to find our next football coach. Bo's name first came up to Canham from a man named Marcus Plant, the school's faculty representative. He had a daughter who was a student at Miami-Ohio which was where Bo was coaching at the time. Plant pointed out Bo's impressive coaching record at Miami and the fact that he never had a losing season. In addition, he had been an assistant coach under Woody Hayes at OSU and to Ara Parseghian at Northwestern so he was already familiar with Big Ten football.
Bo was known to be very organized but had a bad temper. Also, he wasn't well known to the college football world and only a handful of people had heard of him at the time. So Canham put him on the short list.
Eventually, Canham decided to offer the head coaching job to Joe Paterno. He flew to Pittsburgh to meet with JoePa and after a 3 hour meeting, Joe said he would have think it over. Canham felt at that point that there was a 50/50 chance Joe would take the job. A week later, JoePa called up Canham and told him he still had not made a decision and asked if he could decide after Penn State played in their bowl game. Canham replied that he couldn't wait that long for an answer. So JoePa decided to stay at Penn State. But he eventually recommended Bo as a coaching option to Canham.
Bo's name had come up a couple times already by then but it seems after Paterno mentioned Bo's name, Canham finally decided to give him a call about an interview. The rest is history.
JoePa wasn't the main reason but he was the final push that eventually sent Bo to Ann Arbor.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:29 PM ^
Sadly it appears JoePa is holding the program hostage. Basically he wants JayPa to replace him, his son and current offensive coordinator (ah neptotism). Given that the PSU offense has never been all amazing the PSU athletic folks aren't big fans of this option. They much prefer to view their defensive coordinator as the head coach in waiting. Supposedly the D-Coord is basically the head coach a lot of time, but JoePa keeps hanging out hoping to get JayPa in somehow.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
in which America's Finest News Source reported that Penn State had decided to release Joe Paterno, and to appoint the Joe Paterno Statue from the front of Beaver Stadium as the new Head Football Coach.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
a small stroke. Hope like hell that's not the case.
It can be hard for legends to know when to hang it up, both athletes and coaches. Some do it earlier than they might need to (Bo), but JoePa is on the other end of the spectrum. It's got to be an excruciating situation for the AD and other people in the PSU program to observe this. Nobody wants to be the bad guy and ask him to step down, or announce this is the last season.
His wife or his son Jay are the people to do that. At times like this, family has to step up.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:52 PM ^
It appears to me that this could be the only thing that keeps JoePa going, much like Bear Bryant at the end of his career. It wouldn't surprise me if Paterno doesn't last long after he retires. Unfortunately, that day may be here sooner than we think.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:08 PM ^
In one of the books on Bo, Bo recounts an interesting story about Bear Bryant. Bo said they were at an end of the year all-star game just talking. Bryant mentioned that he didn't really want to coach anymore and Bo said why don't you just retire. Bryant said something to the effect, 'Do you know how many people's jobs rely on me? A new coach comes in and all my assistants will be out of a job. The secretaries could be out of a job, etc.'
August 16th, 2010 at 8:53 PM ^
August 16th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
He looked 100% like someone who had recently had a mini-stroke or two at the Big Ten Media Days. It's absolutely depressing, and I hope we don't see him wandering aimlessly around the sidelines this season. Have the dignity to put him in the booth with a headset and have the media relations people politely ask the TV crews not to continually show him up there. This is not a dignified way to go out.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
August 16th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
No, he didn't sound good at all. They played parts of his comments over the radio the day after the Big Ten meetings and I could barely understand what he was saying. He was slurring his words more than usual and half the stuff he was saying didn't make sense.
You have to love his dedication to PSU and everything but it's probably time he stepped down.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:10 PM ^
I remember that story about Bryant. I also remember how that story ended. I think we're headed down the same path with Paterno, minus the bourbon.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:49 PM ^
August 16th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
Bo wouldn't have lived long enough. Paterno was around a while before Bo showed up.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:57 PM ^
Bo started as a head coach before Paterno. JoePa's first season was 1966. Bo started at Miami (Oh.) around 1963. IIRC, he was the active career leader in wins when he retired.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
You sir, are correct--assuming Wikipedia isn't lying, which it never is...
That said, did Bo have another 20 years of coaching in him? I don't think so.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:52 PM ^
Bo would have broken them no problem, considering he only coached 27 years and Joe Pa is going into his 45th. But like other people said, he probably wouldn't have lasted into this millenium if he had kept going past 1989.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
Bo had at least two heart attacks and who knows how many bypasses by the time he retired. I'm grateful he lasted as long as he did and consider myself lucky to be in school at UM when he coached.
He had no chance to catch Bear Bryant, let alone keep up with JoePa and Bowden.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
To all the above response...as has been said, Bo had more wins than Paterno when he retired, so he wouldn't have had to keep up with them...just keep pace with them. Which Michigan has done. So, if he made it this far, he'd have been the wins leader.
And I said, I don't think he would have made it this far, and contrary to Bear (and seemingly JoePa), not coaching probably extended his lifespan, not shortened it (for those who didn't get the Bryant reference made in the post I was responding to, Bear died not too long after he retired. Bo managed to find other things to live for).
August 16th, 2010 at 9:06 PM ^
is by far my favorite non-Michigan coach. I truly love that guy and what he has done in college football. A class act all the way.
It will be a very sad day when he is no longer with us.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
Rumor is that he had a stroke and that's why he cancelled a bunch of appearances. The unofficial (soo to be official?) is that this year is it.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:27 PM ^
He sure doesn't look good and I'm sure he isn't. Get win #400 this year and wave goodbye Joe- Pa. You had a great legacy, but it's time to end it.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:35 PM ^
JoePa is a legend and, despite his efforts to get his boy hired, deserves to go out smoothly with a rocking chair on the 50 and other assorted gifts...
August 16th, 2010 at 10:10 PM ^
there is a very real chance JoePa is going for 400 wins against UM
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result |
 |
|||
| 09/04/10 |
vs. Youngstown State  |
University Park, Pa. | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| 09/11/10 |
at Alabama |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| 09/18/10 |
vs. Kent State |
University Park, Pa. | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| 09/25/10 | vs. Temple | University Park, Pa. | TBA |
| 10/02/10 |
at Iowa * |
Iowa City, Iowa | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/09/10 |
vs. Illinois * |
University Park, Pa. | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/23/10 | at Minnesota * | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 10/30/10 |
vs. Michigan * |
University Park, Pa. | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| 11/06/10 | vs. Northwestern * | University Park, Pa. | TBA |
| 11/13/10 | at Ohio State * | Columbus, Ohio | TBA |
| 11/20/10 | vs. Indiana * | FedEx Field - Landover, Md. | TBA |
| 11/27/10 | vs. Michigan State * | University Park, Pa. | TBA |
Losses to Alabama and Iowa puts Michigan square at the 6th win of the season (losses to Alabama, Iowa)
August 16th, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
He can wait a week.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:12 AM ^
just that he's on deck.
August 17th, 2010 at 2:06 AM ^
August 17th, 2010 at 3:53 PM ^
or three...
August 16th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
I really think this will be his last year. Its admirable that he doesn't want to give up, but perhaps he should for his health.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:36 PM ^
It is how he defines himself and feels accomplishment in his life. It is his life blood.
The day he steps down will probably be the worst day of his life.
He has given enough to PSU to call his own shot. I just hope that he calls it soon enough not to destroy what he has taken a lifetime to create.
No matter what - he is an icon. The definition of a Hall of Famer. A living legend. He is all of these and more. We will never see another Joe Pa.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:14 AM ^
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August 17th, 2010 at 6:41 AM ^
I was talking to a buddy from PA who I served in the Army with. He said that the general feeling around the program is this year is it. He also said that a couple people he knows close to the program have doubts he would be able to make it through the entire season. Obviously that is just pure speculation and heard through the grapevine but it makes me sad. However, JoePa is a legend and I want to see him go out on his own terms but with dignity. Hopefully he makes it through this season in decent health and they win a bowl game to send him out.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^
JoePa might be a living legend, but I don't think that recruits outside of Pennsylvania care too much. Plus, "living legend" doesn't translate into blocking and tackling. Despite their recent good years, I think that Paterno is a liability to the program. The program has excellent assistants on the defensive side of the ball and that is what has been keeping them going lately. When he finally calls it quits, Penn State is going to be a major powerhouse again like they were in Paterno's prime.
August 17th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^
Jo Pa has always been a first class guy and has always handled himself with dignity.