Jay Paterno Leaving Penn State Months After Dad Joe Paterno Was Fired

Jay Paterno, son of Penn State legend Joe Paterno has announced that he will be cutting ties with the University after 17 years as an assistant under his dad’s former regime.

The quarterbacks coaches departure severs the last ties the program has to the Paterno family. The departure of Paterno didn’t come as a surprise after the school named New England Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien as the schools new head coach of the Nittany Lions.

Dad Joe Paterno was fired on Nov. 9 after the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal showed a lack of control by many faculty members of the Penn State football team.

Speaking of his decision Jay Paterno said he spoke with O’Brien earlier in the week and they both “reached the conclusion” that Joe would not be a part of the new Penn State coaching staff.

As to where Joe Paterno hopes to land after leaving a school he called home for nearly two decades? He’s not sure at this time, noting that he will take a few weeks to collect his thoughts and then discuss on and off-field options with his family.

In a statement to his former team Paterno said:

“I wish the program the best of luck in carrying on the academic and athletic excellence that have been a hallmark of this university for decades.”

Joe went on to note:

“As for Penn Staters, I cannot even begin to express what your support has meant to me and my family over the past seventeen seasons and in particular the past two months. Through the tumult of the past several weeks, it has been your stalwart support combined with life lessons learned from Joe Paterno that has and continue to sustain us.”

Do you think it was the right decision for Jay Paterno to leave the program, severing all ties with the former regime?