Joe Pa

[SelectionSunday]

Didn't look or sound good. He's one of those guys who has always seemed ageless, but he's finally showing his age. It was hard and kind of sad to listen to him speak. A lot of rambling & not really saying much. There's absolutely no way he's running that program. They must have great assistants at Penn State. I hope Jo Pa gets out with his health & doesn't force Penn State to do what Florida State had to do with Bobby Bowden, who didn't know when to walk away.

 

[GopherSOB]

Joe Pa represents all that is good with college football/sports and he deserves to go out with all the dignity he rightfully earned. I agree with your post 100% and hope he calls it quits after this year.

 

[GophBen]

I've been convinced for years that JoePa is going to pull a Bear. I hope I'm wrong, but it looks more and more like that is what's going to happen.

 

[gophmeister]

When you're his age, you don't bounce back from illness right away.

 

[PriceyGopher21]

There is no way Penn St can do what Florida St did to Bobby Bowden. In my eyes Bowden was a fantastic coach. he is in an elite group. But Joe Pa is in a whole other league. He needs to go out on his own terms. Even if he isnt really coaching.

 

[RodentRampage]

He's more like a king. He's involved in the big decisions, and the other coaches are given a great deal of responsibility. The power remains with JoePa, but it's a pretty smoothly running machine, so he doesn't have to use it too much. If the offensive coordinator decides that to go not just old school, but ancient school and use the Notre Dame Box, I bet JoePa would have a talk with him.

Some people become out of touch dictators, some get too hands-off. It looks like they have a pretty good balance there. The question is how will it hold up when it's time for a new coach. I assume that they have established a chain of command. But will the machine keep going, or will the new head coach be more of a traditional head coach holding a lot of power, versus the current situation where JoePa is more of a leader.