Jolted Joe

Penn State coach Joe Paterno is taking a beating from opponents and critics

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By JOHN ROMANO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 29, 2001

As parades go, this one is less merry than most.

It veered from route long ago and meanders still. The band has gone silent, the cheering has faded, and Joe Paterno marches on.

But instead of crowds lining before him, critics are circling above.

Paterno is one win from tying Bear Bryant's record of 323 victories by a Division I-A coach. And he is one loss from another call for his head.

This was supposed to be the culmination of a lifetime of effort. A punctuation mark to a grand career statement. Now, when the occasion arrives, it seems like relief will be the prevailing response.

[AP photo (2000)] Penn State coach Joe Paterno is down about his team's recent demise, but should he be out?

Perhaps you have heard the rumblings. The whispers that are growing into shouts. The Pittsburgh columnist who suggested the time has come for Paterno to retire. The Penn State players who say the team lacks commitment. The defensive tackle who referred to the 74-year-old Paterno as "that old man."

Somewhere along the line, the adjectives have changed. Where he once was consistent, he now is stodgy. Where he once ruled with integrity, he now has become unyielding. Where he once was wise, he now is simply old.

Is it possible the qualities that made Paterno a legend have abandoned him so quickly? Or is it more plausible the vultures have grown too impatient?

As recently as 23 months ago, Paterno had a national championship within his grasp. Penn State was 9-0 and Paterno was seven victories from Bryant.

What has followed is the worst 18-game stretch in his 36 years as Penn State's coach. The Nittany Lions faded with three losses in four games to end 1999. They stumbled to a 5-7 record in 2000. They have begun this season with consecutive blowout losses against Miami and Wisconsin.

The reality is that it could get worse still. Beginning today, Penn State has consecutive Big Ten games against Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State. An 0-6 start could be more reality than nightmare.

Can Paterno be absolved of this downturn? Of course not. He is the man on top, and the accountability remains his. Whether it is a lack of talent on the field, a lack of imagination in the game plan or a lack of motivation on the sideline, the responsibility ultimately falls to Paterno.

But it also is unfair to extrapolate from a two-year slump and claim the game has passed him by. Do you think Paterno is incapable of adapting? He has led teams to undefeated records in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. That is not the legacy of a man unwilling to change his ways.

If there is a common theme in the criticism of Paterno, it is his lack of success in recent recruiting classes. According to the talk, he no longer can relate to recruits more than a half-century younger than him.

Yet even that accusation sounds dubious. Penn State had a pair of recruiting classes ranked in the top five in the nation in 1997 and 2000 -- players who should be on the team today.

Paterno said the greater problem is keeping players eligible once they arrive. The average incoming freshman at Penn State in 2000 had a 1,187 SAT and a 3.72 grade-point average in high school. That translates into competition as difficult in the classroom as on the football field.

"There is no college in this university that is easy for anybody. There is no physical education school anymore," Paterno said. "So if I bring in a kid who has a 1,000 or a 1,100 on the boards, that is a good student. When he sits down in class, he is sitting next to a young lady that has 1,400 on the boards. Now the competition is so keen to keep them eligible."

The bottom line is that Paterno's place in college football lore is secure. And his place in College Station should be as well.

Yes, his time is growing short. Yes, he should be contemplating retirement. But he should not be pushed and he should not be prodded.

The reason Penn State's failures are so glaring these days is because of the remarkable standard Paterno has established for nearly four decades.

Eventually Bryant's record will fall to Paterno and, soon after that, Bobby Bowden will chase down Paterno.

The numbers themselves are not that important. It is the values taught and the legacies left behind. Paterno has spent more than 50 years at Penn State as an assistant and a head coach and he deserves better than to have his abilities blithely questioned today.

Meanwhile, the parade marches on, and it is not too late to follow. Just look for the old man in front.

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