After 46 years affiliated with the Penn State Football program, Fran Ganter has announced that he will retire, effective tomorrow.

Ganter’s Nittany Lion career began when he played as a running back in 1967, Joe Paterno’s second season as head coach, and even after his playing days were over in 1970, he never left Happy Valley.

He became the freshman coach the following fall and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1984, overseeing some prolific units, specifically the 1994 offense that averaged 47.8 points per game, and many notable players including running backs Curt Warner, Blair Thomas, and Ki-Jana Carter.

“I can’t say enough about Fran and his impact on me and the players he coached. He had great knowledge of the X’s and O’s and was an excellent coach. He was a great communicator who knew how to motivate people and get their best effort,” said Warner, who played for Ganter from 1979-1982, in a press release.

Assuming the title as Assistant Head Coach in 2000, Ganter was once thought to be the possible successor to Paterno before he stepped away from coaching after the 2003 season when Galen Hall took over the offense.

From 2004 on, Ganter served in an operations role with Associate Athletic Director for Football Administration as the official title.

“I am very proud and thankful to have been a member of the Penn State Football family for the past 46 years. I am also thankful for the lifelong friendships I forged with my fellow coaches as well as the other members of the support staff through the wins and losses, the up seasons and the down. And I am lucky to have played and coached in front of the best and most loyal fans in college football,” said Ganter.