Joseph Vincent Paterno (/pəˈtɜːrnoʊ/; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as JoePa, was an American college football player, athletic director, and coach. He was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. With 409 victories, Paterno is the most victorious coach in NCAA FBS history. He recorded his 409th victory on 29 October 2011, then his career ended 11 days later with his dismissal from the team on 9 November 2011 as a result of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. He died 74 days later, of complications from lung cancer.
Also known as
Athlete, Director, Coach
