Joe Paterno Retiring: Will He Be Fired Before the End of the Season?

Joe Paterno’s time as head coach of the Penn State football program will come to an end after the 2011 season. The AP first reported the news, which was then confirmed by Joe’s son Scott.

Joe then released the following statement (which can be found here) but here is the most important excerpt.

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“I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.”

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Thousands of students rallied in support of the coach last night outside of his home and all throughout State College, while other students and many people around the country feel like he should be fired immediately.

However, it is important to note that as of Wednesday morning, Joe has still not had any communication with the university’s Board of Trustees, and they meet this evening. Paterno may not be given an opportunity to retire on his own terms despite his plea for them to discuss other matters.

Regardless of what he wants, the fact of the matter remains that Paterno failed to perform the morally obvious by not directly contacting law enforcement.

The graduate assistant should have also immediately contacted police, but Paterno is the face of Penn State and he has been a perceived beacon of honesty for it and the college football world, fair or not.

This is not a case about football—it is one about the victims and the deplorable acts of Jerry Sandusky—but Paterno should not be allowed to coach another day, because all of this could and should have ended almost a decade ago had he done what was obvious to most of us.

People have gotten fired over a heck of a lot less, especially in college football.

Also, the Duke lacrosse coach in charge when the rape case against players came up resigned immediately following the allegations.

And anyone who knows anything about Penn State knows that Paterno has more power than his "boss" Tim Curley, who was charged with perjury in relation to this case.

The question is whether or not the Board of Trustees will allow him to finish out the season, but considering how poorly the university as a whole has handled this entire situation, who knows if they will do the right thing and fire him immediately.

While this whole scandal stems from what are still just allegations, it is next to impossible that Sandusky did not abuse those boys and that Paterno could not have done anything more to prevent it based on the evidence.

Because of that, the Board of Trustees should not allow him to coach another day. If they actually do that is another story entirely.