More than two months later, Penn State University issued a statement on its website Thursday which addressed the sudden and swift removal of former head football coach Joe Paterno. In the statement, the University said that the legendary coach was relieved of his duties before the conclusion of the season because of "extraordinary circumstances." Before his ouster by the Board of Trustees, Paterno had announced that he would retire at the end of the 2011 season.
Via Penn State Live:
Given the nature of the serious allegations contained in the Grand Jury Report and the extraordinary circumstances then facing the University, the Board's unanimous judgment was that Coach Paterno could not be expected to continue to effectively perform his duties and that it was in the best interests of the University to make an immediate change in his status. Therefore, the Board acted to remove Coach Paterno from his position as Head Football Coach effective as of that date. Coach Paterno remains employed by the University as a tenured faculty member. The details of his retirement are being worked out and will be made public when they are finalized.
It's the first official explanation from the University. Paterno's son, Scott Paterno, has already responded to the statement, saying the University's removal of his father as coach was not "handled well."
For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.
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