With the recent child sex abuse scandal at Penn State, the school’s Board of Trustees fired football head coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier Wednesday. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim head coach for the No. 12 Nittany Lions for the remainder of the season.
The trustees said their decisions were made “after careful deliberations” and made in the university’s best interest.
Their dismissals are in response to a grand jury investigation involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky — who was indicted on several charges of sexually abusing eight boys during the last 15 years — and how the university handled allegations over the years.
The grand jury investigation also led to charges against two university officials — athletic director Tim Curley and the senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz. The two are accused of covering up abuse allegations and failing to report it.
Although Paterno is not a target of investigation, according to Pennsylvania attorney general Linda Kelly, pressure for him to resign has been building, and early Wednesday, he announced he plans to retire at the end of the 2011 season.
“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case,” Paterno said in a statement. “I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.”
The 84-year-old coach has been at Penn State since 1950 and has been the head coach since 1966. The Nittany Lions’ 10-7 victory over Illinois on Oct. 29 made Paterno the winningest coach in NCAA history with 409 wins.
“This is a tragedy,” Paterno said in his statement. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”
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