According to ESPN, Penn State coach Joe Paterno has agreed in principal to a 3 year contract with the university. Paterno is 82 now and this contract would take him through 85. Rumor has it the average annual value will be somewhere around 500K per year. Still beats social security.
I like Penn State and have always had a lot of respect for Paterno but I am having a tough time getting behind this one. Really, I just don't understand it. He had a chance to go out on top a few years ago after beating FSU in the Orange Bowl. The game was beyond thrilling (triple OT) and the season was a huge, largely unexpected success. Why not ride off into the sunset then?
Now he comes back this year with a talented but unremarkable group of guys and an endless media frenzy around his program over when he will actually step aside. I figured they'd have an above average year but certainly not come as close as they did to a BCS championship game. Despite the loss to Iowa, I felt this would be another story book chance for JoePa to go out on top. Win, lose or draw in the Rose Bowl, its hard to consider this season anything but a whopping success.
At the very least, the uncertainty is gone. We know he has the option to come back through 2011. If I was a betting man, I'd put a handsome sum on him retiring after fulfilling 2 years of the contract.
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