Class act. . .good guy. . .cleaner-than-average program, but Joe Pa is a little old. Penn State needs some new blood. This in no way diminishes the legacy of one of the greatest coaches ever.

(Rare update). . .I simply have to push this to a 4 because of the old bird's win total. . .I mean there's no way I can rank a guy with more wins than rice in China lower than a 4, right? But I still think the old man should go gently into that good night. . .

Joe Paterno represents what this country used to represent, hard work,loyal,honest and most of all integrity. With all the problems in our country and with sports players in all sports, Paterno still believes in all of his players. Unfortunately even Joe can't stop some of his players from being dishonest and sometimes even felons, he still tries to lead all his players in the right direction.

No coach can compare to Joe Pa.

Joe Paterno is the winningest football coach in division 1-A in the bowl games where it matters

Highly overrated as proven since he joined the Big Pretend, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin beat him regularly today.

Joe Pa is college football

Joepa is a legend and has produced some of the finest players in College football history as well as some of College footballs greatest teams. Joepa's 1968 PSU team went undefeated and played in the Orange Bowl against Kansas coached by Pepper Rogers with RB John Riggins, QB Bobby Douglas. KU went into the game 9-1 KU ended the season #7 after their epic defeat at the hands of PSU. 1969 was no different PSU went undefeated again and played another Big Eight conference team that at that time was suppose to be too strong for the team from the east. Missouri had a 9-1 record and averaged over 400 yards of offense, but were pounded by the relentless PSU defese only scoring 3 points after averaging 36 on the season and Missouri was no chumps having beat the following ranked teams Michigan Nebraska and Oklahoma they were coached by the legendary Dan Devine. Missouris final ranking was #6 PSU 1971 team did lose to Tennessee giving them a 10-1 season but they destroyed the mighty Texas 30-6.It was the first time Texas had been held without a TD in 80 games! On these three PSU teams were over a dozen All Americans and four players who made the College Football Hall of Fame. PSU 1973 team went Undefeated and held a third straight Bowl opponent(LSU) under double digits. LSU finished the season ranked #13. So whoever said PSU only beat one opponent during this era who finshed in the top 15 is wrong! Joepa's dominence over their easten brethern is not his fault this is who PSU always played. There was a time when they did not regularly beat Pitt, Syracuse, Army or Navy, however that never stopped Joepa from playing teams from other parts of the country in home and home series like Alabama,Miami,Notre Dame,USC,Texas,Texas A&M. Joepa always has his team ready in bowl games and has never ducked anyone. PSU has had to win their two National Championships on the field twice being ranked #2 and having to beat the number one ranked team Georgia with Herschel Walker in the 1982 and the loudmouth Miami Hurricanes in the Game of the Century in the Fiesta Bowl which to this day is still the most watched College Football game in history with a 25.1 rating. Joepa has over 70 All Americans and players that have won every major college award. His teams have finshed in the top Five 13 times,18 times in the top ten. Joepa has had five teams finish undefeated and untied with bowl victories. In the Big Ten PSU is 69-43 with the 3rd best winning % since they arrived in the Big Ten and were the first Big ten team to go 12-0 and were voted the gratest offense in Big Ten history and better yet Penn State Players graduate college which is the original reason for going to Penn State. The fact is joepa is a legend on and off the football field and deservedly so. There is not a college coach out there now that can carry Joepa's jock! Anyone giving Joepa leass than five stars even with the few down seasons in the early part of the decade is just plain stupid!

Prior to Joe Paterno taking the helm at Penn St in 1966, the Nittany Lions enjoyed 26 consecutive winning seasons, before suffering a 5-5 record in 1965. Joe Paterno enjoyed legend status years before his 2 national titles for leading PSU in their glory years of 1968, 69, 71 & 73, which saw the Nittany Lions cruise to a 45-1 record. Over those four seasons, Penn State faced one regular season opponent that finished in the top 15 of the final rankings. The result was a 31-11 loss to Tennessee in 1971. Paterno lost more games in his first 8 years of Big Ten play than he did in 27 years as an independent while facing regulars Temple, Rutgers, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, Boston College, Army, and the occasional Colgate, and Brown. In 13 years of conference play, Jo Pa is 26-35 versus Big Ten Conference teams finishing with a winning record and 13-28 versus conference foes that finished the season with less than 5 losses. Over his 40 years, Paterno is 52-63-1 in the regular season versus AP final ranked teams, including 4-22 versus the top five, 8-39 versus final top ten clubs, and just 2-25 versus the later since 1986. Jo Pa has 21 career wins, including a 7-9 bowl mark versus final ranked top thirteen teams, and is 8-0-1 versus teams finishing the season ranked 22 on down. Following a great 2005, and two highly touted recruiting classes, the future looks bright in Happy Valley; long live the legend.

The Greatest coach of all time. If not for Bowden's I-AA wins, JoePa would be the all-time winningest coach. You also can not match the stuff he does off the field. The amount of money he personally donated to Penn State is astonishing. This is why Joe Paterno is the best of all time.

The best ever, both as a coach and as the leader of a model collegiate athletic program. All things considered, no one else is even close!

Geez, a few rough seasons and people think he's lost his touch! Look now, people, he is winning again. I think he should probably retire at the end of the year just so he can go out in style.

Thank you to everyone who knows so little about college football. Joe Pa is an institution at Penn State and in college football. Who can name a coach that has greater success at the Div. IA level for so long. In 39 yrs as head coach he has had 5 losing seasons. Albeit 4 were in the last five years. That was because of recruiting. Shortly after Eddie Robinson retired, also a Great Coach, the media started the rumors that Joe was getting old and probably would be retiring soon. High school kids being naive believed this and no matter what any recruiter or coach from Penn State said was going to make a difference. As far as the coaches above him, Bob Stoops, a good coach and will do well; Kirk Ferentz, also a good coach; Larry Coker, came into a winning progam and continued, ergo a good coach; Bobby Bowden, a good coach but overrated. The number of wins misleading because of his time at Samford. Also, what is the graduation rate of his players. Is that not something we should also be looking at? Are these young men not at a university? Is it not the universities job to educate first and have winning athletics somewhere after? Who knows the graduation rate of the football players at any SEC or ACC School? How many SEC or ACC players are, have been or will be convicted felons? Under Joe Pa for 39 years the graduation rate of his players has been 85%. Well above the national average of 57%. Joe is the Greatest Coach, Educator, Mentor and Role Model that Div. IA football has ever or will ever see.

One of the half dozen or so truly great figures in the history of the college game. Look for much improvement with this years squad. The 1994 team was a powerhouse, certainly the best team in the nation. Even I would have liked to have had a playoff that year, (although not before or since). I'm sure that Joe has thought about his exit strategy , and when he's ready to retire, he will. It is HIS career, and really not anyone elses business.

Best there has ever been.

Currently, he is one of the worst coaches in a big name program.

This man with decades of football experience isn't behind anything; recruiting sucks, and that's about it. He knows the game better than anyone else here, and quality wins (unlike a certain bowden figure); simply put, he has earned the right to say when he goes -- and I am behind him until he chooses to go on his own terms.

5 or 10 years ago, I would have voted Paterno as one of the top two or three coaches in the country. But the game has passed him by. JoePa should hang 'em up.

He stinks now and if current is now, he still stinks.

Seems to be a person of high integrity but appears to be getting whinier and whinier as he gets older. Also, has any noticed that his success is all pre-Big Ten? Needs to retire while still has some dignity, starting to get sad and pathetic

Another losing season. No bowl game. This is becoming the norm. We need to find someone that can lead PSU back to challenging for the Big Ten Title. It obviously isn't JOE.

How is this guy on both lists, All Time and Current, I smell bias here. Bias some beer at Penn State. Joe stinks on both listings. LOL!

Dropping like a lead ballon like his ego.

No way today, cannot creat a team that run, pass or kick anymore. The truth is he is now too selfish putting himself ahead of the game, his program and players. Shame one of the best in history, but in the future, they will say, I did not want to go out like Joe Paterno did, not knowing when to retire for the program he built up.

Truly one of the greastest coaches in the history of football, but today he probably ranks near the bottom. Sadly the game has passed him by.

From all opponents, let me say we hope he stays forever.

dottering old fool

Go Pa' Joe

Forgot how to coach.

He was a Great Coach up until 1999 and is still a Good Coach in history, but based on the last 4 years, No Mas! He has a losing record against teams and schools ranking about 69th of 117 schols the last 4 years. He has a Top Ten Program in resources, income and attendance and he is losing? Needs to retire!

Has coached for far, far, far too long. Probably the most overrated coach ever.

i never really liked him or penn state, but i respect him as a coach, and even more as a man. unfortunately, the game and the players have changed so much since he started his career and i don't think that he is able to relate to his players anymore. he should retire after this season, but probably won't.

Throughout the decades this guy has dominated not only the Big Ten, but also the NCAA. He's slipped a bit in the past couple of years, he hasn't gotten the recruits he wishes he could have, but nevertheless, his legacy remains unscathed atop the NCAA lore.

If this was for all time I would give him a 5 star rating but he is slipping but still a wonderful coach.

has been, needs to let it go, he has inability to adjust to the changing style of play

Good teacher that has done alot for PSU. Has 5 undefeated seasons and only 2 championships. Thats just wrong, but no one ever said college football was fair.(Although Nebraska would)... Carr has beaten him 6 times straight. I guess that just isn't a huge accomplishment anymore. Good Luck JoPa!

come on, losing seasons are becoming the norm in State College

Time has passed Joe by...

Good..but time to move on!

Little pizza maker needs to give it up.

Great great man. Shake his hand talk to him, and you know your talking to more than just a guy who cares about football. Chat with Bobby Bowden on the other hand, and you feel the need to keep one hand on your wallet.

I think that Paterno was a good coach in his day but, his day was a long time ago. I don't see what he is staying around for, he already has retirement planned out.

Poor guy. SHould have quit while he was ahead

He is the best coach all time. He is starting to lose his touch though. His team always plays with a lot of heart. Very classy. Needs to do something about the officials though. Penn St. keeps getting screwed. He competes with teams with a lot more talent. A GREAT COACH. I"M AN LSU TIGER FAN BUT BECAUSE OF HIM PENN ST> IS MY 2nd

Long term - best coach in the country. Probably has the most graduates of any big time college football coach and a bunch of wins.

Historical. Past his time.

Grossly over rated as a coach. Runs a clean program but achieves less with more talent than any other coach in the country. This guy would take the talent a Miami or Ohio State has and have them barely make a bowl game. Offensively he is a walking anachronism.

Wins with class... Just about everyone would trust him with their son. Although, it may be time to go.

Was a great coach in his time but his time has passed. He needs to move on before he tarnishes his legacy of being one of the greatest of all time.

Too old and gives football players special treatment not healthy to the university.

Greasy, Wheepin', coke Bottle Wearin', Joe Pa Paterno....nuff said. Hail to Pitt