Paterno's legacy became tarnished in the wake of the Penn State football scandal, but there's no denying what he accomplished as a head coach. But after being fired from the school in November, the former Nittany Lions coach experienced a rapid decline in health.
Paterno had been receiving chemotherapy treatment for his lung cancer, and reports surfaced Saturday afternoon stating that he had become gravely ill.
JoePa spent a total of 61 years at Penn State, serving as head coach for 46 seasons. The university ultimately decided to part ways with him because of his involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, however.
With Paterno on the sideline, Penn State evolved into one of the country's premier football programs.
