Joe Paterno Diagnosed with Treatable Form of Lung Cancer

The news for Joe Paterno and Penn State is going from bad to worse. On the heels of the scandal that ultimately cost him is job, former coach Joe Paterno has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Associated Press is on of many sources to report via Twitter that Paterno's son Scott confirmed that the two-time national champion has been diagnosed with cancer. The AP is also reporting via Twitter that doctors are optimistic that Paterno will make a full recovery.

Paterno was relieved of his duties at Penn State after the Grand Jury testimony around former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and his inappropriate relationships with young boys. 

Paterno had a record 409 wins at Penn State against only 136 losses. He had been the coach at Penn State since 1966. 

The Nittany Lions were 8-1 in the 2011 season under Paterno's watch. They lost their first game without him, 17-14 to Nebraska.

Paterno was an assistant at Penn State from 1950 to 1965. After that season, he assumed the head coaching duties. 

He won two National Championships with the Nittany Lions. The first came in 1982, the second in 1986. He also won three Big Ten titles for Penn State in 1994, 2005 and 2008.

In light of being fired, there were rumors about Penn State removing a statue of Paterno. Those were shot down by Nicole Auerbach and Erick Smith of USA Today.

The York Daily Record has released a full statement from Scott Paterno concerning his father's illness.

A full account of the illness was done by Michael R. Sisak of Citizen's Voice.