Tuesday, Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno got a 3 year contract extension. On the verge of being 82 on Sunday, Paterno has been going strong for the past 43 years, and having large success this year and will be playing USC in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.The Hall of Famer and winningest coach in major college football history has agreed to a new deal with the university. The agreement will provide "for the opportunity of Coach Joe Paterno leading the football program through the 2011 season," said in a statement released by Penn State.
The agreement ends speculation about Paterno's future since his current deal had expired after this season ends. Paterno had hip replacement surgery following the win over Michigan State to clinch the Big Ten title. Paterno told reporters last week that he wasn't worried about getting an extension done before the No. 8 Nittany Lions (11-1) play No. 5 Southern California in the Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day.
"If we can work out something that they are comfortable with and I'm comfortable with before the bowl, fine," Paterno said. "I just get tired of recruits asking me, 'How long are you going to be there?' But most of them are fine."
Counting Paterno's 16 seasons as a Penn State assistant before taking the head-coaching job in 1966, the 2009 campaign would be JoePa's 60th year on the Nittany Lion coaching staff.
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Joe Pa is the man, but its time for him to step aside. If I'm a top recruit I can't see myself commiting to PSU because I am legitimately concerned that he could die in the next 4 years.
ReplyDeleteOn top of that, he isn't even the true coach anymore. He's more of a puppet for the younger coaching staff. Its a disservice to the university to require such a large salary for an assistant coach. Penn State should never fire Joe Pa, but they would've been better off privately asking him to step down.
If I'm a top recruit, I'm fine with committing to PSU because even if Joe Paterno dies in the next four years, I know that he'll die as my head coach at Penn State. That's a lot more than most coaches can say for themselves (see: Nick Saban, Rich Rodriguez.)
ReplyDeleteSaying that Joe Paterno is more of an assistant coach is simply ludicrous. The man hurt his hip demonstrating an onside kick, for crying out loud. It's easy to say that he's a figurehead because of his long tenure at Penn State, but if you listen to what his players say about him, you'll learn that he's very a active coach.
Paterno's salary ($512,000 as of 2007) is about half that of the average NCAA FBS head coach ($950,000 as of 2006) and well below other Big Ten coaches. He could be demanding far more (and getting it) but he chooses not to.
Fair enough...like I said Joe Pa is the man. But at some point hes not going to be able to do his job anymore. A 3 year extension is whats ludicrous. Penn State needs to find a replacement sooner rather than later.
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