Penn State is officially bringing Joe Paterno’s legacy back into focus, a move that’s been quietly brewing for a while but is now undeniably out in the open. It’s the surest sign that a new era has dawned in State College, with incremental, public steps to reintegrate Paterno’s name and image in more prominent ways.
Matt Campbell’s Not-So-Subtle Homages to the Past
New head coach Matt Campbell has a clear playbook, and it includes some seriously unsubtle nods to Paterno. Campbell has been consistent, stating he’s honoring the past and just trying to focus on football. He’s been busy inviting back former Nittany Lions players from decades ago, a common tactic for new coaches. But it’s more than that: the “Success With Honor” banner is revived, there’s a new museum exhibit, and Campbell himself is rocking white laces, just like the legendary coach. Penn State’s significant football history is impossible to acknowledge without directly acknowledging Paterno, and that’s the tightrope they are walking.
The Unavoidable Shadow of Paterno’s Exit
The thing is, Paterno’s legacy has always been a live wire for the program, and acknowledging his history is impossible without confronting how his tenure ended. Paterno was fired in 2011 in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. A 2012 independent investigation, overseen by a former FBI director, found that Paterno knew as early as 1998 about concerns regarding Sandusky’s conduct with children. The investigation concluded that Paterno, along with other administrators, “failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade.”
After Paterno, Bill O’Brien took the reins in 2012, coaching for two seasons under heavy sanctions, including scholarship reductions and postseason bans. O’Brien didn’t mince words about the faction of the fanbase still loyal to Paterno after he fired one of Paterno’s last remaining assistant coaches. He was blunt: “You can print this: You can print that I don’t really give a [expletive] what the ‘Paterno people’ think about what I do with this program. I’ve done everything I can to show respect to Coach Paterno. Everything in my power. So I could really care less about what the Paterno faction of people, or whatever you call them, think about what I do with the program. I’m tired of it. For any ‘Paterno person’ to have any objection to what I’m doing, it makes me wanna put my fist through this windshield right now.”
James Franklin largely kept that faction at arm’s length, focused on modernizing the program, but ultimately, his rope ran out and he was ousted from the job at the end of 2025. Terry Smith then campaigned for the permanent job after being named interim late last season. The question now is: where does this slow, gradual restoration of Paterno’s legacy ultimately lead, and can Penn State truly move forward by looking back at such a controversial past?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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