Penn State Scandal: Coaches React to JoePa's Shameful Stroll into Retirement

We'd known since the weekend that a decision was going to have to be made regarding Joe Paterno's immediate future at Penn State, and that decision was made this morning by Paterno himself.

Instead of leaving immediately, Paterno announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season. When he does, he will leave behind a legacy of unprecedented on-field success. Unfortunately, he will also be remembered for his connection to the scandal in which former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is alleged to have sexually abused young boys for many years.

The reaction to JoePa's sudden and swift downfall among the public has been one of outrage. But Paterno's peers have thoughts on his predicament as well. He is a friend and an icon to many head coaches, both old and new, and many of them have opened up about Paterno in the last couple days.

Not surprisingly, coaches who know Paterno well have had kind things to say. Included among these is Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, who spoke about Paterno to DailyPress.com:

"

I do know Joe Paterno very well. I consider him a great friend. He's been great for college football, and I really think a lot of him. You know, the award that probably means the most to me is the one I got last year. It was the Joe Paterno award. It was for not only winning football games, but for academics and how you ran your program. From my knowledge, Joe ran a great program.

"

Rutgers head coach and former Paterno assistant Greg Schiano also had kind things to say about JoePa, telling The Star-Ledger:

"

Joe was, has been a ton, everything to me. He gave me a chance. I was a 25-year-old kid and he gave me a chance, hired me as a full-time coach at one of the top programs in the country. He certainly gave my career a jumpstart to say the least and I learned a ton working under him for six years and he's been a mentor of mine.... I'll be rooting for coach Paterno. Hopefully he has a great end to these next couple of weeks. I don't know if he has two games left and then a bowl -- or three games. The whole thing is sad.

"

Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz started competing against Paterno back in the early 1970s, and he sounded very distraught in discussing Paterno's retirement in an interview for ESPN on Wednesday. He also spoke openly about his relationship with Jerry Sandusky's "Second Mile" charity program:

Former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden also had his battles with Paterno during his coaching days. He sounded a little more optimistic in discussing Paterno with the USA Today. If anybody can pull through something like this, Bowden thinks Paterno can:

"

If anybody can do it, he can. He's been around a long time and he's been around just about any situation that can occur. He's been through it all. That's the advantage of maturity, which he's got.

"

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier, Bowden's longtime rival, was also supportive of Paterno. His comments, via Darryl Slater of the Post and Courier:

Also sounding off from the SEC was Alabama head coach Nick Saban. He chose not to pass judgment one way or another on Paterno in his remarks to the Tuscaloosa Bureau, but he did express his concerns about Sandusky's victims:

"

It's a terrible, sad series of events especially that would lead to someone who's accomplished so much retiring. But I think the most important concern in all of this is for the kids. That would be my utmost concern relative to this circumstance.

"

As for Paterno's fellow Big Ten coaches, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke made it clear that he is still very much a fan of Paterno. Via AnnArbor.com's Kyle Meinke:

Other Big Ten coaches kept their remarks short and to the point. Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, who will face off against Paterno on Saturday, decided to play nice. Via Sporting News' Matt Hayes:

A couple coaches chose not to remark on the matter. Per The Lantern's Pat Brennan, Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell had nothing to say at all about Paterno:

The same goes for Illinois' Ron Zook, who is going to wait before he even reaches out to JoePa. Via Illinois radio host Jeremy Werner:

As you can see, the total package is kind of a mixed bag. There's clearly a general sense of respect for JoePa among his fellow coaches, but the seriousness of the situation definitely isn't lost on them.

No doubt many of them never thought they would feel this way about Paterno on the day he finally announced his retirement.