Joe Paterno: True Dedication

Joe Paterno—JoePa for short—is a classic example of a college football coach who is dedicated to the program that made him who he is today.  He celebrated his 81st birthday on Decemeber 21, 2007.  JoePa, the coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, has been the head football coach for over 40 years.  He's been on the PSU coaching staff since he graduated college in 1950.  He worked his way up through the ranks to get where he is today, and is now the best coach in the Big 10. But JoePa has never had a salary over $500,000—well, maybe the 2007 season took him to $500,000.99  We're talking about the best coach ever, second only to Bobby Bowden of Florida State in career wins.  And he's been coaching the same team for 58 years. JoePa's loyalty to Penn State is so strong that he turned down an offer to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, an offer he initially seriously considered.  (The Steelers ended up hiring Chuck Noll , who would ... [link]