SportsWrite

It’s good to see that Penn State finally gave Joe Paterno a contract extension for three more years (give or take a few years, according to the reports.)  I know this has probably been said many times before, but I’ll say it again:  JoePa has more than earned the right to coach at Penn State as long as he wants.  Even if that means till the day he dies (it probably does.)

What I think people sometimes forget is that he isn’t simply an old coach just hanging on as long as he can without the results to warrant it.  He still runs out a solid football team year after year, and still wins lots of football games.  Sure, he has had a couple rough years recently, but by and large he still gets it done.

Gone are the days of powerhouse schools dominating year after year after year, like the Alabama, Nebraska, Penn State, Oklahoma teams of old.  Penn State has averaged 10 wins per season the last four years and been Big Ten champions twice in that time.  If not for a last second Iowa field goal this season, we would be talking about Penn State in the national championship game.  Same story in 2005, when a last second Michigan touchdown prevented another undefeated Penn State campaign.

So, essentially, Penn State plays New Year’s Day bowls regularly and every few years contends for the national championship.  In today’s college football landscape, that is a pretty good record.  No one is a perennial national championship contender now, not with the parity present.  What would Nebraska fans give to have Penn State’s record the last few years? Or Alabama? Or Tennessee? Or Miami?

That’s why JoePa deserves to coach at PSU as long as he wants.  In addition to his previous achievements, he gets results about as good as anyone could ask for in the modern college football world.  Just let him keep coaching.

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