Joe Paterno Fired: Firing Could Begin the Decline of Penn State Football

Penn State’s board of trustees took a very bold and necessary step in firing Joe Paterno.  In doing so, they sent the very clear message that JoePa’s actions and omissions in the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse case were so egregious that the coach did not deserve to go out on his own terms.

That was absolutely the right decision.

The 60-plus-year Paterno era at Penn State has now come to its end.  You can bet that no coach at Penn State (and arguably at any major college) will ever hold such sway at their university. 

But does the end of the Paterno era mean the end of Penn State as a major football power for the years to come?  I think it does.

Here’s why:  The board of trustees has been shaken out of its thrall of Paterno.  They have asserted their rightful role as the final arbiter of who gets hired and fired at Penn State.  They now have to find a replacement coach, and at the same time institute a major culture change in the football program.

The speculation on who will replace Paterno has already started and will continue to grow.  But it is just as important to speculate on the atmosphere into which the next coach will walk.

The already-high standards of player conduct will remain.  But the board will rightly demand (and get) a pledge from the new coach to be more transparent and subservient to the new athletic director, new president and newly assertive board. 

I would not be surprised if there is a “de-emphasis” on football at Penn State.  Look for proclamations that they are an institute of higher education first and an athletic program second.  Look for the athletic department and specifically the football program to bear the brunt of any financial fallout from the victims.

All of these factors will lead to a weaker football program from an administrative standpoint, which will ultimately mean a weaker football program athletically.  While Penn State will still have great facilities and traditions, it will not have the dynamic force it needs to get players to State College.  It will also not have the absolute and unwavering support of the school administration. 

The scandal and Paterno’s messy departure could also turn off longtime donors and boosters, leaving the program strapped for cash in an era where money is king.

Lots of people will argue that this is the right course of action, not just at Penn State but at every university with a high-profile football team.  Many more will say that Penn State’s football program deserves to be knocked down a few pegs, and it looks like the board is willing to do that.

If all that happens, the Penn State football team five years from now will bear no resemblance to the current team.  They will be a program in decline, unable to attract the high-quality talent they get now, and unable to be competitive enough to win in their conference. 

Post-Paterno Penn State has the potential to end up like post-death penalty Southern Methodist—a football team at an academic school.