Sports

Former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno Dies

Paterno was the winningest major college coach in history with 409 wins during his career.


Former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno, whose 409 wins are the most by a major college coach, has died after experiencing complications from lung-cancer treatment. He was 85.

Patern's death was announced Sunday (Jan. 22) shortly after 10 a.m. in a statement from his family. Also, Paterno's health had been affected when he recently broke his pelvis in a fall at his home in State College, PA.

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Paterno died at State College's Mount Nittany Medical Center where he had been undergoing treatment, according to an ESPN report.

The legendary coach's career ended in a scandal-tainted firing in November.

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Paterno was criticized for not going to law enforcement in 2002 once he was told by then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary that McQueary had seen defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually abusing a young boy in a shower on campus, according to usatoday.com.

He also won more bowl games (24) than any college football coach. Among those victories was the 1983 Sugar Bowl game over Georgia in what turned out to be Herschel Walker's final college game.


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