The Daily Collegian
Coach Joe Paterno walks the field at Beaver Stadium while his team practices before his 35-21 comeback victory
JoePa achieves legendary feat
400-win milestone defies fast-paced college football culture
By Brendan Monahan
■ .01. t.Ui.AN STAFF WRITER
The present isn't much like the past.
Things have changed since 19(56. when Joe Paterno
became the head coach at Penn State. There wasn't
Twitter or ESPN. Schools paid coaches less money. There
wasn't much talk of tiring a coach if he failed to meet expec
tations within a vear or two.
The college football landscape has become different, and
coaches have changed with it.
"They're greater than they ever have been in the history
of the game." said former Purdue coach Joe Tiller, a close
friend of Paterno. "With that compensation comes an
expectation level that is nearly impossible to reach from a
long range point of view."
Paterno is the exception to the rule, and the 400-win
milestone he achieved Saturday defies impossibility.
Achieving 400 is significant not just because it has never
been done in Division I-A it's significant because
Paterno has remained a head coach in one place for 45
years and counting in a college football culture obsessed
with instant success and defined by short leashes. For
those reasons, people around college football say the 400-
win milestone in Division I-A probably won't ever happen
again.
"I don't think anybody will threaten it in a while either
because coaches are not staying on one job like they used
to because of the high salaries and because they get
tired quicker, or they get rich quicker and get out of coach
ing.' former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "I
don't know if we'll see another football coach in college
coach at one school as long as Joe has at Penn State."
Bowden experienced the culture change firsthand. After
last season. Florida State's president. T.K. Wetherell.
forced out the longtime coach who tallied 377 wins at
Samford. West Virginia and Florida State.
Paterno. though, has lasted through the change in col
lege football. He turned down chances for more lucrative
coaching jobs, most notably the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969
and the New Kngland Patriots in 1973. He outlasted what
Lions come back for win
By Andrew J. Cassavell
i f'! I! GIAN STAR WRITER
On Saturday night. Joe Paterno
made it veiy clear why he's still
coaching in the same place he was
on September 17.1966 - the night
of his first victorv.
"People ask me why I stayed
here so long." said Paterno. who.
399 wins later, became the first
FBS coach in history to reach 400
victories with a 35 21 comeback
win over Northwestern, the
largest deficit overcome in a home
win for the 83-year-old coach.
"Look around."
Paterno stood at the center of a
podium in front of the south end
zone. Cameras Hashed, fans
chanted his name and players
eagerly looked on during his
speech. Some wore smiles, others
had tears in their eyes and many
held signs and donned white hats
reading. ”400: The Paterno Way."
The iconic coach joins Eddie
Robinson and John Gagliardi as
the only coaches in college football
history to reach the milestone.
Gagliardi is first all-time with 477
career victories. 453 of which
came at Division 111 St. Johns
(Minnesota). Robinson had 408
wins, all of which came at
Grambling of the FCS.
In a' career that has seen
Paterno win two national titles,
total five undefeated seasons and
earn 24 bowi victories, reaching
400 wins could be the legendary
coach's last great accomplish
ment.
Paterno had his arm around his
wife. Sue. and three generations of
Paternos stood on stage, while
athletic director Tim Curley pre
sented him with a crystal football
commemorating his contribu
tions, both on and off the field, to
the university.
“To see the fans all
stick around like
that it was very
moving for me.”
Joe Paterno
Penn State head football coach
As is typical of Paterno. he
deflected the credit to all the play
ers who have come through Penn
State during his 45-vear tenure,
some of whom are the third gener
ation in their family to play for
him.
"The guys that have played
here have just all been great."
Paterno said. 'And to see the fans
all stick around like that it was
very moving for me."
But No. 400 didn't come easy.
The Lions fell behind 21-0 late in
the first half with a lifeless offense
and a defense that had trouble
stopping shifty Northwestern
quarterback Dan Persa.
“If I had my choice." Paterno
cracked in his postgame press
conference, "I would’ve had it a lit
tle easier.”
For 29 minutes and 10 seconds,
it appeared Paterno would have to
wait at least another week to
reach the milestone.
But instead of taking a knee and
heading into the locker room trail
ing by 21, with 50 seconds remain
ing in the half, Paterno opted to
take a chance. What ensued was a
47-second, 91-yard drive that
ended with redshirt sophomore
quarterback Matt McGloin finding
senior co-captain Brett Brackett
in the back of the end zone.
It sparked a run of 35 unan
swered points led by McGloin,
who entered the game for fresh
man Rob Bolden in the first quar
ter. Paterno made the decision to
Penn State fans call the Dark Ages, a five-year span from
2000 to 2004 in which Penn State compiled a combined 26-
33 record and sutiered four losing seasons.
He achieved the wins under the Penn State title
"Success with Honor" and his self-dubbed Grand
Experiment, which emphasized education first and foot
ball second.
"He did not follow the philosophy that some college and
university coaches follow, which is win at any cost." said
former Penn State President Bryce Jordan, whose term
lasted from 1983 to 1990. "He chose a path that's far more
beneficial lo the sport and the university, and yet he man
aged to win national championships and to win 400
games."
The coach who didn't put winning first is now on a tier far
above any other FBS coach. He arrived in Happy Valley in
1950 when Rip Engle left Brown to receive the head coach
ing job at Penn State. Engle needed an assistant, so he
brought his starting quarterback with him.
The university named Paterno the associate head coach
in 1965 to replace Engle, which he did a year later.
"The fact that he spent his entire coaching career at one
place, that's more amazing to me than the number Of
wins." said Fran Ganter. the associate athletic director for
football and former offensive coordinator and player under
Paterno. "It's just mind-boggling in this profession for a
guy to be able to be at one place for the* many years and
naturally to win that many games."
Paterno emphasized loyalty ana education to players
while downplaying his own achievements over the years.
The head coach's last great personal accomplishment was
surpassing Paul "Bear" Bryant's 323 wins in 2001.
Paterno's wife. Sue. said she w'as happy when her hus
band surpassed Bryant because only then did people stop
talking about it. When Paterno won games No. 200 and 300.
Sue said thoughts of the milestones never crossed her
mind.
Her husband is the same way. Paterno said his job is to
win for his players, not himself, but those around Paterno
understand the significance.
Kennv Jackson, a former wide receiver under Paterno
switch to McGloin. who rewarded
him by tossing tour touchdowns
and 225 yards. It was the Lions'
third straight win. all finished by
the former walk-on quarterback.
"To be a part ot it. I'm just
speechless." McGloin said. "It
really hasn't sunk in yet. In years
you're gonna remember that
night. You were there, and you
were quarterback ior coach Joe
Paterno when he got his 400th
win."
Once McGloin and the offense
started to catch fire, the defense
and the entire Beaver Stadium
crowd followed suit When the
milestone victorv- became immi
nent. the fans broke into a chorus
of "JoePa-Terno." and as the sec
onds ticked down, offensive line
men DeOn'tae Pannell and Eric
Shrive lifted Paterno onto their
shoulders as he approached mid
field.
"All of that was nice." Paterno
said. “Carrying me off the field
we all have a little bit of ham in us.
I felt pretty good about it"
Paterno downplayed the record
all week, as did his players and the
coaching staff. They were focusing
strictly on Northwestern, they
said.
But Paterno's son and quarter
backs coach. Jay Paterno. who
had tears in his eyes during his
father's postgame speech to the
crowd of 104.147. at least took the
time to make sure the moment
wasn't forgotten.
“After we beat Michigan, I said
‘Mom, is [all the family] coming in
next week?' ” Jay Paterno told
reporters after the game. “She
said, 'No, why?’ I said, 'I hate to
tell you, but it's kind of a big
deal.'"
Jay Paterno choked up again in
his postgame interview, noting
both the history of the moment
and 400th win - Saturday night against Northwestern
from 1980-83. recalled when schools recruited him. The
house phone was the only way to get in contact with
Jackson.
Now it's a different storv
The advancement of college sports and the Internet
caused a shift in recruiting. High school football players
are now celebrities with websites waiting about every visit
to a college campus and ESPN broadcasting national sign
ings.
"That's why I think it's so hard for somebody to get to
400, especially at the Division I levels." Jackson said. "In
other levels, that will be different. There's not as much
attention."
Only two other have done it. Eddie Robinson won 408
games at Division I-AA Grambling State, and John
Gagliardi has won 477 games as coach of Division 111 St.
John's— where he currently coaches and Carroll
College of the NAIA.
The pressure that comes with that attention is why Tiller
believes many college football coaches aren't enjoying the
profession as much as before.
"Coaches have never been under greater scrutiny, and
their programs have." Tiller said. "All that stuff wears on
you after a period of time."
The old-school Paterno found just as much success in
the attention-filled age of college football as he did before
it. He remained steadfast in his ways despite the change in
culture. Bowden said the milestone of 400 wins takes on a
greater meaning because Paterno got his wins the honor
able way. Amid recruiting, practice and academic viola
tions at other programs - such as USC. Michigan and
Florida State Paterno's NCAA file has remained virtual
ly spotless.
"It's a plateau that's never been reached by any Division
I-lAI football coach, which that unto itself is historic." Tiller
said. "I think it's also symbolic of the idea that coach
Paterno has been a survivor in a profession that is difficult
to master, which I think speaks volumes about his abili
ties."
Chioe Elmer/Collegian
Quarterback Matt McGloin (11) runs with the ball during Saturday
night's 35-21 win - Coach Joe Paterno’s 400th - against Northwestern.
and how much his father has
meant to the Penn State program.
Former linebacker Jack Ham,
who played under Paterno from
1968-70, and called the game
Saturday, said he’s sure the record
will never be broken.
“This one will stand forever,”
Ham said. “It just speaks of what
he’s done for this university. When
I first went to school a lot of people
thought Penn State University
was the University of
Pennsylvania. It didn’t have an
identity and Joe put this universi
ty on the map way back when.”
Offensive line coach Dick
Monday, Nov. 8, 2010 I
Chioe Elmer Collegian
to e-mail reporter: bjmsl46@psu.edu
Anderson, who has been on
Paterno's staff for 33 seasons,
echoed Ham's sentiment.
Paterno’s legacy, Anderson said,
was cemented well before
Saturday's milestone.
“It was all about integrity, the
university, the people and the
team,” Anderson said.
“For Joe, it’s not about himself.
I think personally, I don’t know if
there is anybody in the history of
Penn State that has done more for
Penn State University than Joe
Paterno.”
To e-mail reporter: ajcs23B@psu.edu