Joe Paterno Fired: Is This the Most Disgraceful Exit in Coaching History?

After the news that Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was fired on Wednesday before he could coach his last game at Beaver Stadium, it begs the question: Was this the most disgraceful exit in coaching history?

It may just be.

Never have we witnessed such serious allegations on a college campus. When former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse relating to young boys, it changed everything.

In addition, never have such alleged actions been allowed to go on for so long. Sandusky allegedly sexually abused at least eight boys in a period of 15 years. That's unfathomable.

Paterno, of course, allegedly reported these actions to administration, and when administration decided to cover up such heinous acts, Paterno did nothing.

Paterno didn't commit a crime. He did what he was legally obligated to do. But this may be the most disgraceful exit in coaching history because he didn't do what he was morally obligated to do, and that was to keep Sandusky from doing any more damage.

Paterno has won two national championships and three Big Ten titles in his career, and he has the most wins by an FBS coach in history. Before the firestorm, he was one of the most respected head coaches in all of college football.

So it makes sense that as Penn State falls, so does Joe Pa, for he was Penn State.

Even with everything Paterno did on the field, it was what he didn't do off it that ultimately destroys his legacy.