Vote for Paterno for 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year

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StateCollege.com Staff

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December 12, 2007 – 3:00 am

Latest Penn State News

Vote for Paterno for 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Photo by Dan Landers-Nolan

To vote for Joe Paterno as 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, click on the image above.

University Park, Pa. — Penn State fans can vote for Joe Paterno for the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, an award presented to the collegiate football coach who best demonstrates responsibility and excellence on and off the field. Voting closes Saturday, Dec. 15.

Paterno is one of 10 finalists for the honor.

The award is sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance in partnership with the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame. The winning coach will receive a $50,000 donation for the charitable or civic organization of his choice. Fans can vote daily at https://www.coachoftheyear.com online. The four winning coaches — one from each NCAA division — will be announced and profiled during a half-hour ABC/ESPN special at 5:30 p.m. ET Dec. 29.

Paterno is in his 42nd season as head coach of the Nittany Lions. He is second in all-time victories among major college coaches and fourth in wins across all four NCAA divisions. A member of the Penn State coaching staff for 58 years, he owns a 371-125-3 (74.6) career record. Paterno has led Penn State to national championships in 1982 and ’86, five unbeaten and untied seasons (1968, ’69, ’73, ’86, ’94) and is the all-time leader in bowl appearances (33) and victories (22-10-1 record).

A 1950 graduate of Brown University, Paterno also has produced more than 300 NFL players, 74 first team All-Americans, 36 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans (27 first team), 15 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athletes and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners during his career.

Paterno was inducted in the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame earlier this month and was selected the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Coach of the Year for an unprecedented fifth time in 2005 after leading Penn State to an 11-1 record and the Big Ten and FedEx Orange Bowl titles.

Paterno and his wife, Sue, have contributed more than $4 million to Penn State for several academic and athletic building projects and to endow scholarships and faculty positions.