Tanned and rested after his beloved beach vacation, Joe Paterno was ready to go. Season No. 41 as Penn State head coach awaited.
"I feel great and I feel that I am going to coach as long as I feel good about myself and still be excited about my work," Paterno said at Big Ten media day in Chicago earlier this month.
It seems that Paterno's familiar rolled-up khakis and smoky, thick-rimmed glasses won't be disappearing from the sidelines any time soon, especially after last year's football resurgence — an 11-1 record and coach of the year honors for Paterno.
High times in Happy Valley, though a question still looms.
Who's next after JoePa?
"Whenever the time comes, we'll cross that bridge at that time," athletic director Tim Curley said.
Curley says there is no succession plan in place. Paterno is under contract for another two seasons. He'll be 82 on Dec. 21, 2008.
Forget shuffleboard and early bird dinners. Paterno is so healthy that a doctor told him during a checkup this summer that he could coach another 10 years.
"He loves it. It's his passion," said Jerry Sandusky, one of the many assistants who Paterno has outlasted. Sandusky retired after the 1999 season after 30 years on the staff. "He loves the thrill of the competition, and challenge of a new group."