Through all of the news during the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal fiasco, people have been shoveling blame on head football coach Joe Paterno unjustly.
Just like the last 10 to 15 years at PSU, the people in charge of the school have been trying to find a way to force the aging coach out without creating a public frenzy.
Now with the flood of talk that Joe Paterno should be held responsible for Sandusky’s actions, it’s easy to ensure that the coach will not come back next season.
Paterno is one of the greatest coaches in history, and the fact that his tenure will end shrouded in controversy is not the way PSU imagined getting Paterno to leave.
Joe Paterno said in an official statement released Wednesday:
I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: to serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today. That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more. My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff, and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university.
This is one of the saddest days in the history of Happy Valley—not just because of the announcement from Joe Paterno, but because that was another log thrown on the horrible story that will resonate with the school from now on.
Jerry Sandusky ruined the lives of countless children over the years, and the damage he has done to the reputation of Penn State as a school will be nothing short of disastrous.
Penn State is finally getting what it wants—a retiring Joe Paterno—but the school’s wishes have come true in an evil way.
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