Joe Paterno Health Status: Update on Legendary Coach's Decline

The health problems of Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno are reportedly serious.

Genaro C. Armas of the Associated Press quoted family spokesman Dan McGinn saying the following.

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Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications...His doctors have now characterized his status as serious. 

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Paterno, 85, has been hospitalized since Jan. 13, being treated for cancer. It was revealed that Paterno had lung cancer shortly after he was relieved of his coaching duties.

McGinn added that the family will not be making a statement in the foreseeable future.  

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His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

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Paterno's 409 wins are more than any FBS (or Division I) coach in the history of the game. He coached his last game on Oct. 29 against Illinois, which was a 10-7 win for the Nittany Lions. 

In addition to the career wins record, Paterno also has two National Championships (1982, 1986), and three Big Ten titles (1994, 2005, 2008). His head coaching tenure at Penn State began in 1966, coaching all the way through his 2011 dismissal. 

Before taking the head coaching job for the Nittany Lions, Paterno was an assistant from 1950-1965. From 1946-1949, he was a quarterback and cornerback for Brown's football team. 

Prior to this hospital visit, Paterno was in the hospital being treated for a broken pelvis that was suffered in a preseason accident. The former coach spent most of 2011 coaching from the Press Box.

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