Joe Paterno, the football coaching legend and head coach of Penn State Nittany Lions has been fired, just hours after he submitted his retirement to univerity officials. Paterno tell the Associated Press, “Right now, I’m not the football coach, and that’s something I have to get used to.”
Also gone from the campus: President Graham Spanier who was also fired during a meeting of the university’s board of directors. The announcement came in the wake of a sex a abuse scandal that has tarnished Penn State University’s reputation.
The announcement came on Wednesday evening after a closed door meeting of the Penn State Board of Trustees. Amid a sea of reporters, the Board of Trustees made the announcment at an impromptu press conference in Deans hall at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College.
The board said the decison was made after careful deliberations and is in the best interest of the university as a whole. The board said that not all the facts and details have been worked out, but they are committed to restoring public trust to the university. According to 6 Sport’s Matt Maisel, the decision was unanimous.
The announcement came the same day that Paterno announced he will retire at end of the season. The Board of Trustees decided to not accept his retirement plans. They have decided that Paterno has coached his last game and will not finish out the season. The Nittany Lions are scheduled to play their last home game of the season this Saturday against Nebraska.
The announcement came just days after Paterno’s former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested and charged with dozens of sex crimes against children. Sandusky is accused of molesting at least eight young boys in his home and at the Penn State campus. An alleged incident was reported to Paterno, reported it to his chain of command.
The board has named Dr. Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost, as the interim president of the university. Tom Bradley, assistant coach, has been named interim head football coach.
Stick with 6 News on-air and online for continuing coverage.
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