Paterno, Joe

Paterno, Joe (Joseph Vincent Paterno) (putûr'nō) [key], 1926–, American football coach, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. A former quarterback at Brown Univ., he has been the head coach since 1966 at Pennsylvania State Univ., where his Nittany Lions have won two national championships (1982, 1986). In 2001 he surpassed Bear Bryant's record for most games won, placing Paterno first among Division I-A coaches in college football history. Paterno is widely admired for his loyalty to Penn State and for his emphasis on education as well as on sport.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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