No JoePa for the first time in 29 years
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15578288/

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Heeding his doctor’s advice, injured Penn State coach Joe Paterno will not be in the stadium Saturday when the Nittany Lions play Temple — missing his first game since 1977.

Paterno had surgery Sunday to repair a fractured shinbone and two torn knee ligaments in his left leg. The 79-year-old coach was sent tumbling along the sideline last Saturday by two players in the second half of Penn State’s loss to Wisconsin.

Paterno had missed only one game in his 41-year head-coaching career — after his son, David, was involved in an accident. He also missed one game as an assistant in 1955 after his father died.


Two games in 41 years as a head coach?:eek: I don't care if he is only coaching 10-12 games a season, that is absolutely amazing.

I thought I read he was going to coach from the pressbox?

Not surprised he won't be out there, I saw the game and that hit was NASTY, especially for a guy his age. And they had to keep reshowing it from a million angles...hopefully he recovers fully.

I heard he can coach from the pressbox, but why? My impression is that the assistants run the show at PSU. He is the figure head that pumps up the players and yells at the refs, thats it. Regardless, Im hoping he has a speedy recovery. It will be strange not seeing him out there.

Who's the "head coach" for this week in his place?

Trust me, he could coach from his toliet for this game.

Yeah, this is not a game that should be difficult. It's Temple.

Actually I think it is more that Joe does not let his assistants coach enough. He reigns in the offense a lot and makes PSU very predictible. He would rather win the game with a vanilla offense and a stellar defense. That worked in the 60s and 70s but not anymore.

I'll be at the game and it'll be sad to not see Joe run out with the team. I think the team will play more relaxed with Bradley as acting HC.

Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley, who will also likely be JoePa' successor in two years (when his contract expires hopefully before he does).