It's official, Joe Paterno will retire at the end of the Penn State Football team. We started receiving reports to that end earlier today, but now we get word directly from coach Paterno himself. He just released a statement and it says exactly what we expected. Here is the full statement, courtesy of SB Nation.
I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.
I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.
That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.
Peterno has not yet met with the Board of Trustees, so there is no guarantee he will even be allowed to finish out the season. It is also interesting that Paterno says he wishes he had done more, which is not a good sign for the others involved in this scandal. But the writing is on the wall, and if we haven't already seen the last game Joe Paterno will coach at Penn State, it will be coming very soon.