No one thought it would end this way for Joe Paterno: the iconic Penn State football coach has announced his retirement, effective at the end of this season, due to the ongoing sex scandal surrounding the university’s athletic department.
In 2002, Paterno learned that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky may have abused a boy in a locker room shower, but only reported the incident to the athletic director, as opposed to the police.
“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief,” the record-breaking coach state in a statement, adding:
“I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.
This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”