Scandal ends career of coaching legend Paterno

STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - In a country mad for college football, Joe Paterno -- known simply as "JoePa" -- represented almost a deity of the sport.

But the sterling reputation he built in almost five decades as head coach at Penn State University has been sullied by a scandal centered on allegations that a long-time assistant coach sexually abused boys on campus and school officials tried to cover it up.

Paterno, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, said on Wednesday he would retire at the end of the current season.

Paterno has won more games in big-time college football than any other coach in the history of a sport dating back to the late 19th century. He was a towering figure in college football, with only a handful of other coaches over the decades, like the late Paul "Bear" Bryant of the University of Alabama, regarded with equal reverence.

At age 84, Paterno has served as head coach at Penn State since 1966 -- an incredible 46 seasons. But he has become increasingly frail with age and now coaches not from the sidelines as is customary but from the press box.

Paterno is a beloved institution in Pennsylvania who won national championships in 1982 and 1986 and survived calls that he leave the post because of his advanced age. He compiled 409 career wins at Penn State.

His former long-time assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing at least eight boys over a period of more than a decade. Sandusky has denied the allegations.

Paterno, who was not a target of the criminal investigation, said he was informed of an incident involving Sandusky in 2002 and passed the information up the chain of command to the university's athletic director.

Paterno faced criticism for not following up or doing more to address the allegations.

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said of the scandal in his statement announcing his departure. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

"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," he said.

TWO NATIONAL TITLES

The Brooklyn-born Paterno played football at Ivy League Brown University from 1946-49 before joining Penn State as an assistant coach in 1950, and 16 years later as head coach he began building a prodigious resume.

Paterno steered the Nittany Lions to seven undefeated regular seasons and Penn State claimed three Big Ten Conference championships (one sole in 1994, and co-champions in 2005 and 2008).

He is also the all-time leader among college coaches with 24 post-season wins in 37 bowl game appearances and is the only coach whose teams have won the Rose, Sugar, Cotton and Orange bowls.

Paterno's teams struggled in 2003 with a 3-9 record and followed with a 4-7 mark the next season. He said he would consider retirement if his 2005 team did not improve and the Nittany Lions responded with an 11-1 record.

His tenure was a rarity in collegiate sports and his legions of supporters shouted down critics who thought he was too old to coach as he entered his 80s.

Paterno's program was known for churning out star players who went on to play in the National Football League.

Under Paterno's watch, the team produced 78 first-team All-Americans, among those recognized were 10 linebackers coached by Sandusky at the college that became referred to as "Linebacker U."

Paterno has seen more than 350 former players sign NFL contracts with 32 of them drafted in the first round.

The well-respected coach often pushed for policy changes from the NCAA, the governing body of U.S. college athletics.

He supported instant replays as a way of settling disputed rulings on the field and favored giving athletes a stipend on the grounds that many come from poor families. He also advocated a playoff system to determine national champions.

Paterno also had a reputation for being concerned about his players' academic and emotional development.

He was known for his philanthropy at Penn State, giving more than $4 million to the school for scholarships, faculty endowments and construction.