Joe Paterno Fired: Former Penn State Coach Issues Statement

The Penn State Board Of Trustees announced Wednesday that Joe Paterno would no longer be head coach of the football team in the wake of allegations that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted anywhere from eight to close to 20 young boys.

This came in the wake of Penn State President Graham Spanier announcing his resignation and Joe Paterno, earlier in the day, announcing he would retire at the end of the season. The board said they felt it was in the best long-term interests of the university if Paterno were immediately fired, and the decision sparked outrage during the press conference and may have incited a riot on campus.

Paterno was understandably in shock after the decision, and made a statement outside his house that conveyed just how surreal the past few days, culminating in the board’s late-night announcement, must be for him:

For more on the situation that continues to develop at State College, visit SB Nation’s Penn State blog, which has been on the forefront of the story from the beginning, Black Shoe Diaries, and revisit this storystream for updates.