LAST HURRAH: Joe Paterno oversees his final practice as the Penn State coach yesterday before the school’s Board of Trustees announced his firing later last night, which prompted a wave of support in downtown State College (inset). (AP; Reuters (inset))
Embattled Penn State coach Joe Paterno said yesterday he will retire at the end of the season.
But the university’s board of trustees didn’t want to wait that long. It didn’t even give the Brooklyn native the final home game of this 46th season.
Paterno and Penn State president Graham Spanier were fired last night after what a source told The Post was an emotional meeting of the board.
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Paterno appeared outside of his house in State College last night with his wife, Sue, at his side. He tried to put on a brave face, but sources said he was very upset by the news.
“Hey, look, get a good night’s sleep, go home and study, we still got things to do,” shouted Paterno. “Good luck everybody.”
Thousands of students were chanting “Joe Paterno” along East Beaver Avenue in downtown State College. A streetlight was bent over by students who tried to tear it down.
“We just feel totally betrayed by the school,” sophomore student Emily Ralkan said. “After 60 years of all the work he’s done for us, for them to just fire him is ridiculous. They won’t even let him finish up the season. There’s no loyalty there. And it’s sick. It’s disgusting. He’s probably done more for the school than any of the trustees has.”
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An emotional Paterno, 84, told his players at a morning meeting he had submitted a letter of resignation. He received a standing ovation as he left the meeting room.
He released a statement announcing his planned resignation.
“This is a tragedy,” Paterno said. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”
He released another statement after he was fired.
“I am disappointed with the Board of Trustees’ decision, but I have to accept it,” he said.
When the board of trustees made their announcement there was no reaction to Spanier’s firing, but Paterno’s firing was met with a gasp.
Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season, beginning with Saturday’s game against Nebraska. The players said Paterno’s final words hinted that he might not finish the season with them.
“He just always wants us to remember that this team will always be a team and always be together,” safety Drew Astorino said yesterday after the team meeting.
Paterno came under fire after his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, 67, was arrested and charged with 21 felony counts for allegedly abusing eight child victims over a period of 15 years.
In 2002, then-graduate assistant and current assistant coach Mike McQueary came to Paterno’s home and reported seeing Sandusky in the Penn State showers with a 10-year-old boy.
Paterno notified athletic director Tim Curley, and a vice president, Gary Schultz. But Paterno never alerted law enforcement, which the board determined was insufficient.
“One thing,” Paterno said from his front door. “Thanks, and pray a little for those victims.”
Paterno is not a target of the criminal investigation, although Curley and Schultz have been charged with failing to report the incident to the authorities.
The decision to fire the man affectionately known as JoePa brings to an end one of the most storied coaching careers not just in college football, but in all of sports.
Paterno finishes with 409 victories, a record for major college football and won two national titles and guided five teams to unbeaten, untied seasons. He reached 300 wins faster than any other coach. Had Paterno coached on Saturday, he would have passed Alonzo Stagg for the most games coached. Both have 548.
“In all the clips I’ve seen of him, I’ve never seen him break down and cry,” quarterback Paul Jones said. “And he was crying the whole time today.”
After meeting Tuesday, Penn State’s Board of Trustees said it would appoint a committee to investigate the circumstances that resulted in the indictments of Sandusky, Curley and Schultz in the scandal and alleged cover-up.
The committee will be appointed tomorrow at the board’s regular meeting, which Gov. Tom Corbett said he plans to attend.
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Education said it has launched an investigation into whether Penn State failed to report incidents of sexual abuse on campus, as required by federal law.
lenn.robbins@nypost.com