Paterno, 70, Plans To Stick Around Penn State Coach Keeps Piling Up Wins, Respect Of Players And Peers

Preparing for his 27th bowl game in 31 seasons at Penn State, 70-year-old Joe Paterno said he has no immediate plans to retire from coaching.

“If I can go to 75 I’ll be happy,” Paterno said Saturday. “Seventy’s not old. If you exercise and eat properly, it’s just a number.”

Paterno’s No. 7 Nittany Lions (10-2) will face Big 12 champion Texas in Wednesday night’s Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium.

The nation’s winningest active coach with 288 victories is 17-8-1 in the postseason.

“I feel great. I don’t feel a day over 60,” Paterno said. “So unless things change dramatically, I’ll go another five or six years.”

John Mackovic, head coach of the 20th-ranked Longhorns (8-4), said that he has always admired Paterno, who turned 70 on Dec. 21.

“I have a lot of respect for my elders,” he joked. “The guy has more energy and has done more for college football than anyone.”

Though the players he tutored in his first season as an assistant coach at Penn State are now eligible to collect Social Security benefits, Paterno hasn’t lost a step, according to his players.

Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius said Paterno, whose thick hair still has a lot more black than grey, is in amazing shape.

“It is hard to believe that he’s 70. You see him out there still doing pushups and situps - it’s inspiring,” he said. “I do not think his age is an indication of his condition. He could probably go another 20 years.”

Paterno said he did not think there was any advantage to playing in his sixth Fiesta Bowl. Texas is making its first appearance.

Paterno, who coached in his first bowl game back in 1967, still has his quick sense of humor.

When asked his opinion about Mackovic’s gutsy fourth-and-inches call in Texas’s 37-27 upset of Nebraska, Paterno didn’t miss a beat.

“I’d have made the exact same call,” he said smiling. “But of course it’s easy to say that when it’s over.”

When asked about the Fiesta’s $8.5 million bowl payout, he reminded the reporter that it didn’t all belong to Penn State.

“We’re not an independent anymore. We have to share it,” Paterno said. “If it was all ours, I’d be in the athletic director’s office tomorrow.”