Scandal could put end to coach’s long career Joe Paterno’s legendary coaching career could be nearing its end.
The New York Times, citing sources close to top Penn State officials, reported that the 84-year-old Paterno could be ousted “perhaps within days or weeks.”
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Scott Paterno, the coach’s son, tweeted in response, “NYT report premature. No discussions about retirement with JVP [Joe Paterno].”
The Associated Press reported that Paterno’s support among the Penn State board of trustees was described as “eroding.”
The board met by phone Tuesday night and planned to meet Wednesday night in person. According to a statement, a special committee is being formed by the board at its regular meeting on Friday “to undertake a full and complete investigation of the circumstances that gave rise to the Grand Jury report.”
The effects of the scandal have stretched throughout the Penn State community.
“We share our shock and outrage with the rest of the Penn State family, yet we do not presume to speak for all of the D.C.-area alumni,” the Metro Washington D.C. chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association said in a statement. “… This is a very emotionally charged case, and we are as troubled as anyone about these allegations. With that said, we are still a part of the Penn State family and hope that others can view these allegations as separate from our university as a whole.”
On Tuesday, three days after former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested in connection with charges that he sexually abused eight boys during a 15-year period, team administrators canceled Paterno’s weekly news conference ahead of the football team’s game this weekend against Nebraska.
Paterno, whose 409 career wins are the most in Division I history, was expected to field questions about the scandal and Sandusky, his coordinator on two national championship teams in 1980s.
Scott Paterno told the Associated Press that the decision to cancel was made by Penn State president Graham Spanier’s office, and that his father was disappointed.
“I know you guys have a lot of questions. I was hoping I could answer them today. We’ll try to do it as soon as we can,” Joe Paterno said to a group of reporters as he got into his car.
Authorities have said that Paterno, who testified in the grand jury proceedings that led to the charges against Sandusky, is not a target of the investigation. But despite charges against vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley of perjury and a failure to report to authorities what they knew of the allegations against Sandusky, the backlash against Paterno for a moral failure to act has been swift and widespread. The Harrisburg Patriot-News published a rare full, front-page editorial calling for Paterno’s tenure to end this season and for Spanier to resign immediately.
“There are the obligations we all have to uphold the law. There are then the obligations we all have to do what is right,” the editorial was headlined.
A person familiar with Sandusky’s relationship to Penn State told the AP that the former coach long maintained an office in the East Area Locker building, across the street from the Penn State football team’s building, and that he was on campus as recently as a week ago working out.
The university’s online directory listed Sandusky — whom Penn State officials banned from campus during the weekend — as an assistant professor emeritus of physical education in the Lasch building.
The grand jury investigating Sandusky found that he was given the office, a parking pass and other amenities as part of his 1999 retirement package.
According to reports, coach Paterno had tears in his eyes as he talked through a window to a crowd outside his home on Tuesday evening, telling them, “As you know, the kids that were the victims, I think we ought to say a prayer for them.”
