Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She is the widow of football coach Joe Paterno, who led the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. [153] Before the 1974 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, a group of Pennsylvania Republican Party leaders briefly considered Paterno for Andrew Lewis' ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor. It may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody. [6][7][93] Freeh's firm's investigation concluded that by their actions, the four men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade." He had no apparent plans to retire, and contingents of fans and alumni began calling for him to step down. He died from complications of lung cancer less than three months later. One of Cappelletti's teammates, however, notified Paterno of Joey's request and Paterno brought John back in for another series. This was criticized by Pennsylvania state Senator Jake Corman, who claimed, "There clearly is a significant amount of communication between Freeh and the NCAA that goes way beyond merely providing information. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden held the NCAA major college record for wins at 377, while for NCAA Division I schools, Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson's 408 victories stood as the official record. Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour says this will be a celebration of how Paterno and his wife, Sue, "helped countless students . Record-setting Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died Paterno, legendary Penn State football coach, dies at age 85 2012-01-23 - By Richard Goldstein . I'd call it coordination Clearly, Freeh went way past his mandate. The Paterno family has vehemently denied that Joe Paterno had any knowledge about Sandusky's crimes against children. He was paid $490,638 in 2006. Just months after coaching his last game amid a lurid child-sex scandal that tarnished his legendary 61-year career, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died yesterday. There's no doubt in my mind, Freeh steered everything as if he were a prosecutor trying to convince a court to take the case. The 84-year-old Paterno initially announced his retirement effective at the end of the season, saying that the scandal was "one of the great sorrows of my life. Watt says when George, Joe's brother, died several days after suffering a heart attack in 2002, the outpouring of support to Joe from his former high school was so strong Joe decided to return for its next reunion. The wife of ex-Penn State coach Joe Paterno faced an embarrassing situation earlier this week when she was reportedly turned away from a campus pool. Penn State won at least three bowl games in each of the four decades in which Paterno coached the entire decade, from 1970 thru 2009. [38] He had a bowl record of 24 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie following a defeat in the 2011 Outback Bowl. Within days, Penn State's trustees had fired Paterno. The wife of ex-Penn State coach Joe Paterno faced an embarrassing situation earlier this week when she was reportedly turned away from a campus pool. Paterno was born in Brooklyn, New York. For almost as long, his near-constant companion, wife Sue, seemingly wielded as much influence. Websites CRASH as hundreds of thousands of families find out today Head over heels for Kate! Paterno was an iconic figure on the sports landscape. [8][9][10], In addition, the Freeh report said that even after Sandusky's retirement in 1999, Paterno, Schultz, Spanier, and Curley "empowered Sandusky to attract potential victims to the campus and football events by allowing him to have continued, unrestricted and unsupervised access to the University's facilities and affiliation with the University's prominent football program. In 1944, Paterno graduated from Brooklyn Preparatory School. "We have been unaware of how a predator behaves," Sue Paterno said at a program celebrating Child Abuse Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. Expand. His death came. [84][85][86][87] That night, several thousand Penn State students chanting Paterno's name rioted in the streets, hurling rocks, tearing down street signs, and overturning a news van. Joe Paterno, Longtime Penn State Coach, Dies at 85 - The New York Times Joe Paterno, Longtime Penn State Coach, Dies at 85 584 People gathered around a statue of Joe Paterno on the Penn. Paterno thanked the crowd and said, "The kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. On February 25, Curley, Schultz, and Spanier decided to have Curley report McQueary's information to the state Department of Public Welfare. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! Paterno had 29 finishes in the Top 10 national rankings. "[55], On September 13, 2012, a group of alumni and supporters called Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship released a review of the Freeh Report that was critical of the Freeh Group's investigation and conclusions. . [175][176] Based on the criteria used by the NCAA, Paterno no longer held the record for most victories by an NCAA Division I football coach. Paterno was fired by the university trustees days after Sandusky was charged. Paterno's coaching career ended abruptly in 2011, shortly before his death, when the Penn State Board of Trustees terminated his contract in response to a child sex abuse scandal involving Paterno's former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. A day before his death, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris explained how a lesson from former Penn State Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno helped make the "Immaculate Reception" a reality. [2] However, in late 2014 and early 2015, court depositions by trustees Kenneth Frazier and Keith Masser conflicted with the "failure of leadership" story. He lived in a high radon area. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Four of his unbeaten teams (1968, 1969, 1973, and 1994) won major bowl games and were not awarded a national championship. [173][174], At the time of his death, Paterno had accumulated a record of 409 wins, 136 losses, and 3 ties. [69] Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said that Paterno was cooperative with prosecutors and that he met his statutory responsibility to report the 2001 incident to school administrators. Paterno had been hospitalized at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College since Jan. 13 and was surrounded by family, including his wife of five decades, Sue, at the time of his death.. "(But) definitely we've been thinking about him, and we're hoping he's doing all right, and just praying for him.". Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after being convicted last year of 45 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of years. His wife is Suzanne Pohland (12 May 1962 - 22 January 2012) ( his death) ( 5 children) Joe Paterno Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Right tackle Chima Okoli said this week that the team knows Mr Paterno doesn't want sympathy. The man known to a million Penn State fans simply as "JoePa" is survived by his wife Sue, his sons David, Jay and . [58][59] According to the report, Paterno notified Athletic Director Tim Curley about the incident, and later notified Gary Schultz, Vice President of Finance and Business,[60] to whom the University Police directly reported. [119] In response, Freeh called the Paterno family's report "self-serving" and said that it did not change the facts and findings of his initial investigation. When legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died of lung cancer on January 22, fans and well-wishers immediately wondered whether it wasn't just his lungs, but also his heart that. (Curley testified in 2017, "I don't recall the specific conversation or what his [Paterno's] reaction was.") Because of the serious and horrendous nature of the allegations against Jerry, that narrative went pretty much unopposed. Who Is Joe Paterno's Wife? A reasonable person will conclude that there is some doubt here and that the other side of the story deserves to be heard. Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, his body ravaged by chemotherapy and radiation treatments for lung cancer, died Sunday morning. Doctors said he JOE PATERNO OBITUARY. He recorded his 409th victory on October 29, 2011 . He is from USA. [91] In the opinion of writer Michael Sokolove, the mission Freeh was given seemed to speculate that Sandusky's crimes were not his alone and that people who had reason to suspect him had looked away. "[121] Similarly Todd Blackledge, ESPN college football analyst and former Penn State quarterback, noted on the media coverage, "it felt like the media felt at liberty to just connect [] all those dots, whether they had facts. Paterno died Jan. 22, 2012, at the age of 85, from complications of lung cancer. As a result of his injuries, he was unable to travel to the induction ceremonies in New York City and the National Football Foundation announced that he would instead be inducted as a part of the Hall of Fame class of 2007. This Saturday, during a football game against Temple, the university will honor the late Joe Paterno, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his first game (and victory) as head coach of the Nittany Lions. His death came just months after he had been removed as head coach of the Penn State football program amid tense. They have far more important matters to address. At a minimum, it is inappropriate. BREAKING NEWS: TikTok will LIMIT screen time for users under-18 to 60 minutes a day - and they will be Meghan Markle was 'hugely disappointed' by life in the royal family and as a 'global superstar' she 'hated Parents' fury as schools STILL won't tell them if they are closed tomorrow as teacher strikes continue. [146] The New American Foundation ranked Penn State No. "It is with. They married in 1962, the year she graduated. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. During a speech in Pittsburgh on May 12, 2005, Paterno announced that he would consider retirement if the 2005 football team had a disappointing season. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. HARRISBURG, Pa. Joe Paterno's widow said Wednesday that she and her husband were ignorant about sexual predators like Jerry Sandusky and did not realize that the former Penn State assistant. Paterno was regarded as more than just the coach's younger brother; a person who leaves a legacy of his own. [33] Paterno dismissed the allegations as a "witch hunt", and a radio broadcaster said Paterno chided reporters for asking about problems. He is listed in position 13. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his. He spoke with a marked Brooklyn accent throughout his life. After Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference in 1993, the Nittany Lions under Paterno won the Big Ten championship three times (1994, 2005 and 2008). With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.. Jay Paterno, one of the couple's five children, also spoke at the breakfast gathering sponsored by the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance. Paterno was accused of "making light of sexual assault" in 2006 by the National Organization for Women, which called for his resignation, though Penn State later categorized this incident as being "taken out of context" and never seriously considered asking for Paterno's resignation. Suzanne Pohland was born on February 14, 1940, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The team won two national championshipsin 1982 and 1986. Today is a victory for Penn State nation. "We're focusing on Wisconsin," linebacker Nate Stupar said Tuesday. Paterno spent a year in the Army before being discharged in time to start the 1946 school year at Brown University, where his tuition was paid by Busy Arnold. According to a statement that day from Mount Nittany Medical Center, Paterno died at 9:25. "[168] Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said of Paterno, "His legacy as the winningest coach in major college football and his generosity to Penn State as an institution and to his players, stand as monuments to his life. And I'm viewing this strictly on the evidence, not any kind of fealty to anybody. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. But following Paterno's firing, faced with hate mail and a threat of a defamation lawsuit by Paterno's family, the Board agreed to give Paterno and his family the $5.5 million package, which included additional perks for the family. 2 Graduation Rate Among AP Top 25 Teams", "Paterno's Payback? [124] On the day the Freeh Report was released, Oregon State president Ed Ray, chairman of the NCAA's Executive Committee, sent an e-mail to NCAA president Mark Emmert, his deputy, and the former enforcement head of the NCAA that directed them to come up with a way to sanction Penn State. Penn State football struggled from 2000 to 2004, with an overall 2633 record in those years and Paterno became the target of criticism from some Penn State faithful. A small plane towed a banner over campus, reading Take the Statue Down or We Will. [43] Paterno was inducted on December 4, 2007,[44] and officially enshrined in a ceremony held July 19, 2008. Paterno rebuffed all of this and stated he would fulfill his contract until it expired in 2008. I did not find that evidence. Her husband, a College Football Hall of Fame coach who led the Penn State's Nittany Lions for 46 years, died in January 2012 at 85. The family of Joe Paterno announced Sunday morning that the 85-year-old former football coach of Pennsylvania State University had died of lung cancer. First published on November 24, 2011 / 8:43 AM. EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: Carol Kirkwood's secret toyboy fianc - 13 years her junior - is a divorced police 'Digital antidepressants' to be rolled out on the NHS as health bosses give eight apps and web-based therapy BBC journalists vote 'overwhelmingly' to stage series of strikes in move that could sabotage corporation's 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' School trustees fired Joe Paterno on Nov. 9 from the job he held for nearly a half-century in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno died Jan. 22, 2012, at the age of 85. He was 85. )[112] The NCAA reported that "Penn State's leadership failed to value and uphold institutional integrity, breaching both the NCAA Constitution and Division I rules", and that the NCAA "intended to remediate the 'sports is king' culture that led to failures in leadership". Wife. Joe Paterno, byname of Joseph Vincent Paterno, also called JoePa, (born December 21, 1926, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.died January 22, 2012, State College, Pennsylvania), American collegiate gridiron football coach, who, as head coach at Pennsylvania State University (1966-2011), was the winningest major-college coach in the history of the sport, with 409 career victories, but whose . Former Penn State president Graham Spanier volunteered to resign, wasn't fired, report says, "Penn State trustees 'reaffirm and ratify' board's personnel decisions on Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier", "Penn State Students Clash With Police in Unrest After Announcement", "Board Chairman Still Thinks Paterno Wasn't Fired", "Jake Corman v. Pennsylvania State University", Former FBI director Freeh to conduct independent investigation, "The Trials of Graham Spanier, Penn State's Ousted President", "Report of the Special Investigative Counsel Regarding the Pennsylvania State University Related to the Child Sexual Abuse Committed by Gerald A. Sandusky", "In verdict for ex-Penn State president, all sides hear what they want to hear", "Curley, Schultz regret not acting sooner in Sandusky case", "SPORTSbyBROOKS Transcript: Joe Paterno's Grand Jury Testimony", "Joe Paterno's Name Removed From Child Development Center at Nike Headquarters", "University reviews honors named for Joe Paterno", "Paterno Won Sweeter Deal Even as Scandal Played Out", "Airborne banner: Take down Paterno statue", "Penn State to remove Paterno Statue this weekend", "Penn State Trustee Denies Reports That Vote Was Taken To Remove The Paterno Statue", "Trustee: Penn State president Erickson to decide on Paterno statue", "Penn State removes Paterno statue: reports", "Penn State removes Joe Paterno statue, says library name won't change", "NCAA Hits Penn State With Unprecedented Penalties", "NCAA Proposes Reinstating Penn State Football Wins, Paterno Record - WSJ", "Consent decree between Penn State and NCAA", "Penn State alumni group releases analysis critical of Freeh report", "Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Paterno Family Releases Critique of Freeh Report", "Bob Costas Talks Freeh Report, NCAA, and Paterno", "Emails show NCAA uncertainty about Penn State case", "NCAA's Penn State email trouble starts in presidents' outboxes", "Paterno family and others file lawsuit against NCAA", "Sen. Jake Corman declares victory over NCAA with repeal of its sanctions on Penn State", "Penn State leaders don't endorse Sandusky coverup findings", "Joe Paterno Knew of Sandusky Abuse in 1976, According to Court Testimony", "Outback Bowl matches Penn State with Tennessee", "Paterno mum on poll puzzle, supports playoffs", "Penn State's title hopes bowled over; no playoff in sight", "College athletes: To pay or not to pay? Tom Corbett orders flags to half-staff for Penn State coach Joe Paterno", Thousands gather for Paterno funeral and procession, Joe Paterno's grave site is drawing longtime fans back to State College to pay their respects, Penn State pays tribute to Joe Paterno at memorial service, "Joe Paterno's 111 wins that were vacated will be restored", National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award, National Football Foundation Gold Medal winners, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Paterno&oldid=1139330979, United States Army personnel of World War II, Coaches of American football from New York (state), Penn State Nittany Lions football coaches, Players of American football from New York City, Articles with dead external links from August 2012, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Articles to be expanded from December 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, National Football Foundation Gold Medal Award 2006, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 15:44. His widow, Sue Paterno, will receive a $10.1. Penn State football letterman and NFL Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris died overnight, according to the Associated Press. So God bless America."[156]. Mr Paterno testified before a grand jury looking into the abuse allegations that a graduate assistant told him in 2002 that he witnessed an incident in the shower in the team locker room. Prosecutors have said Mr Paterno had passed on the information to his superior. Ultimately, the board rejected Paterno's offer to resign at the end of the 2011 season. [171] Paterno was buried in Spring Creek Presbyterian Cemetery just outside the town. According to the NCAA's 2008 Graduation Rates Report, Penn State's four-year Graduation Success Rate of 78% easily exceeds the 67% Division I average, second to only Northwestern among Big Ten institutions. But doubts still remained over the story's veracity, after NBC reported the indoor pool was in fact closed to all the public - despite sources confirming she was turned away to the Patriot News and AP. We're focusing on Wisconsin, linebacker Nate Stupar said on Tuesday. However, on July 23, 2012, the NCAA officially vacated 111 of Paterno's wins based on the findings of the Freeh report regarding his involvement in the Penn State sex abuse scandal. [148] After helping raise over $13.5 million in funds for the 1997 expansion of Pattee Library, the university named the expansion Paterno Library in their honor. Noonan stated that while Paterno may have done what he was legally required to do, anyone with knowledge of possible sexual abuse against minors had "moral requirements" to notify police.[67]. This benefit will continue for the balance of your lifetime," Last month, a documentary filmmaker who recorded a jailhouse interview with Sandusky said that he believes Paterno was "railroaded" in the investigation and conviction of Sandusky for child sexual abuse. On July 7, 2020, Letourneau's attorney, David Gehrke, confirmed that she had passed away from cancer the day prior in her home near Seattle. [36], Paterno was known for his gameday image thick glasses, rolled-up dress slacks (by his admission, to save on cleaning bills), white socks and Brooklyn-tinged speech.[37]. [6] The Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center opened in 2012. Paterno had one Heisman Trophy winner, John Cappelletti, who earned the award in 1973. [11], In 2012, the NCAA vacated all of Penn State's wins from 1998 through 2011 as part of its punishment. [66][67] Instead, two weeks later, Curley reported that Sandusky's keys to the locker room had been taken away and that the incident was reported to The Second Mile charity. Furious motorist is fined 650 after council worker paints disabled bay around his parked car. Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees. After leaving Penn State, Paterno began suffering from health. The previous two incidents, along with Paterno's public objections, and the Big Ten's Clockgate controversy, are often cited as catalysts for its adoption. Joe Paterno dies at 85; transformed Penn State into football power Jan. 23, 2012 :: In June 2012, a jury found Sandusky guilty of 45 counts of child sexual abuse.