Joe Paterno Ranked No. 7 In ESPN’s Top 150 College Football Coaches Of All Time
In recognition of college football’s 150th season, ESPN released its rankings of the 150 best college football coaches of all time. Legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno came in at No. 7 in the rankings.
ESPN noted how Paterno quickly turned Penn State into a national powerhouse as one of the reasons he ranked so highly on this list in addition to how the program joined the Big Ten under his leadership during the realignment era.
Paterno’s 409 wins still make him the winningest coach in Division I history. He also achieved this success without sacrificing academics, calling his plan the “grand experiment.”
Paterno’s 45-year tenure at the helm of the Nittany Lions program, along with his rise to success from being an assistant coach, left a permanent mark on the Penn State program, securing him a spot in the top 10 on this list.
Paterno wasn’t the only Penn State coach to get a nod on this list. Rip Engle, who led the team from 1950-1965, was acclaimed for bringing the Lambert trophy to Happy Valley three times during his tenure and landed at No. 48 on the list. Hugo Bezdek also checked in at No. 120 thanks to his three appearances in the Rose Bowl, including one at Penn State during his tenure from 1918-1929.
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