Why Joe Paterno's Coaching Legacy Will Never Be Duplicated

Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was a coach players loved to play for and a coach who will forever be the staple of Nittany Lions football.

According to multiple news sources, including ABC News, Paterno was pronounced dead on the morning of Jan. 22 at 85 years old.

In a report by Reuters, the family spoke on Paterno's legendary coaching career and his unmatched dedication to his work and those he loved.

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"His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them," the family said. "He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

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Paterno was not only one of the most accomplished coaches in Penn State history, but is known as arguably the most successful to ever grace the sports world.

In spite of having a career somewhat tainted by scandal, as a head coach Paterno was known for coaching some of the better defenses in college football history during his 46-year tenure that began in 1966 with Penn State.

Top-notch defensive talents from Paterno's program who made noise in the NFL included LB LaVar Arrington, OLB Jack Ham and safety Darren Perry. 

In his 46 years as a football coach, Paterno was a whopping 409-136-3, with 24 bowl game wins in 37 bowl appearances.

What makes the feat all the more impressive is Paterno had just five losing seasons his entire coaching career, boasting a whopping 41 winning seasons. The 2007 College Football Hall of Fame inductee coached two national championship teams in his career.

His accomplishments are simply too difficult to even fathom, while he also boasted a work ethic unmatched by most every coach.

JoePa's coaching legacy lives on strong, not only in the world of college football but  is considered a coaching career to go down as one of the more memorable tenures in the history of sports.