Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno at a 2010 rally
Sport(s)	Football
Biographical details
Born	(1926-12-21)December 21, 1926 Brooklyn, New York
Died	January 22, 2012(2012-01-22) (aged 85) State College, Pennsylvania
Playing career
1946–1949	Brown
Position(s)	Quarterback, Cornerback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1950–1965 1966–2011	Penn State (assistant) Penn State
Head coaching record
Overall	409–136–3
Bowls	24–12–1
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships 2 National (1982, 1986) 3 Big Ten (1994, 2005, 2008)
Awards Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1986) 5x AFCA COY (1968, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2005) 3x Walter Camp COY (1972, 1994, 2005) 3x Eddie Robinson COY (1978, 1982, 1986) 2x Bobby Dodd COY (1981, 2005) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1986) 3x George Munger Award (1990, 1994, 2005) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2002) The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award (2005) Sporting News College Football COY (2005) 3x Big Ten Coach of the Year (1994, 2005, 2008)
Records Most Division I-A/FBS wins (409) Most bowl wins (24)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2007 (profile)

Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno (pronounced /pəˈtɜrnoʊ/; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), often referred to as "JoePa", was an American college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for nearly 46 years, from 1966 through 2011.^[1] At the time of his death he held the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football coach with 409 and was the only FBS coach to reach 400 victories.^[2] He coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl games and, in 2007, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach. Despite his achievements as a coach, Paterno's career ended abruptly in 2011 after he was fired for his "failure of leadership" in the child sex abuse scandal surrounding his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.^[3]

Paterno was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brown University, where he played football both 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. Sixteen years later, in 1966, Paterno was named as Engle's successor. Before long, he had coached the team to two undefeated regular seasons in 1968 and 1969. He went on to win two national championships—in 1982 and again in 1986. In all, he led the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl appearances with 24 wins all while turning down offers to coach NFL teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. Paterno became the winningest coach in Division I history on October 29, 2011.

During his 61 years at Penn State, Paterno became a beloved figure in the college community. He was well known for his distinct game-day image, particularly his thick, square glasses. The emphasis that he placed on ethics and moral conduct and his philosophy on football, to meld athletics and academics, were signatures of his coaching style. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4 million to Penn State, and funded the school's library that bears their names. Paterno died of complications from lung cancer on January 22, 2012.

Early life[link]

Paterno was born December 21, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, and throughout his life he spoke with a marked Brooklyn accent. His family is of Italian ancestry. In 1944, Paterno graduated from the defunct Brooklyn Preparatory School. Six weeks later he was drafted into the Army. Paterno spent a year in the service and spent time in Korea before being discharged in time to start the 1946 school year at Brown University where his tuition was paid for by Busy Arnold.^[4][5]

He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Upsilon chapter).^[6] He played quarterback and cornerback and shares the career record for interceptions with Greg Parker at 14.^[7] Paterno graduated with the Brown University Class of 1950. Although his father asked, "For God's sake, what did you go to college for?" after hearing of his career choice,^[8] Paterno joined his college coach Rip Engle as an assistant coach at Penn State in 1950; Engle had coached five seasons, 1944–1949, at Brown. Engle announced his retirement in February 1966, and Paterno was named his successor.

Coaching History[link]