(Sports Network) - Legendary Penn State head coach Joe
Paterno said he plans on returning to Penn State in 2009 after the Nittany
Lions' 49-18 victory over the Michigan State Spartans to clinch a trip to a
BCS Bowl game.

Paterno, 81, has served as the Nittany Lions' head coach for the last 43
seasons, his first being in 1966 when he replaced Rip Engle. His tenure is the
longest of any coach at a single university in college football history.

He currently holds the record for most wins in FBS history, as his record
stands at 382-126-3, and also holds the record for most bowl wins in FBS
history, going 23-10-1 in postseason play during his coaching career.

"I'm planning on coming back (in 2009), I never planned otherwise," Paterno
said. "I'll have to sit down with (athletic director) Tim Curley and
(school president) Graham Spanier because I don't have a contract signed.
When I talk to high school kids I (want to) be honest with them because I
have no plans to leave, but we'll see what happens."

In his time with Penn State, Paterno has led the school to two national
titles, in 1982 and 1986, and five undefeated seasons, in 1994, 1986, 1973,
1969 and 1968.

The school joined the Big Ten conference in 1993, and Paterno has won two
conference titles -- 1994 and 2005. Paterno is the only coach in history to
win each of the four major bowls -- Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar -- as well
as the Cotton Bowl at least once.

In 2006, Paterno was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, as the
National Football Foundation changed its rules to allow coaches who are 75
years of age or older to be elected without first retiring. He has been named
the Walter Camp Coach of the Year three times, in 1972, 1994 and 2005. He is
the first college football coach to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports
Illustrated, receiving the distinction after the 1986 championship season.

For many years reporters have questioned Paterno on numerous occasions about
his retirement, and the coach always insisted that he had not thought about
leaving the school and often seemed agitated by the questions. He was
questioned in his weekly press conference this past week and once again
dismissed any rumors.

The Brooklyn native has contributed millions of dollars to the school, as Penn
State's library bears the name of its football coach. His teams have often had
high graduation rates, with the 2008 team recording a 78 percent four-year
graduation rate which exceeds the 67 percent Division I average. That number
is second among AP Top 25 teams to Texas Tech and is second in the Big Ten to
Northwestern.

Paterno's teams have finished in the top-10 of the Associated Press Poll 20
times in his coaching career and have a chance to finish that way in 2008. His
2008 team, which is currently 11-1 with a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten, clinched a
share of the Big Ten title and a possible Rose Bowl appearance with its
victory Saturday.

Paterno has appeared in the Rose Bowl only once before, winning a 38-20 battle
with Oregon to cap off the undefeated 1994 campaign.

Despite his success, Paterno will make only his second appearance in a major
bowl since the Bowl Championship Series was created in 1998 -- the Orange Bowl
in 2005, a 26-23 victory over Florida State.

He has coached only five teams with losing records, with four of those coming
in a five-year period from 2000-2004 that had many critics calling for him to
step down. His other losing season was in 1988, but since a 4-7 season in
2004, Paterno has gone 42-10, including a 3-0 mark in bowl games.

Paterno, who graduated Brown University in 1950, still holds the school's
record for most career interceptions. He joined Penn State that year as an
assistant coach under Engle.

The octogenarian has been battling hip problems for most of the season and is
scheduled to undergo hip replacement surgery in the upcoming days. He has
coached much of the 2008 season from the press box and has been seen walking
with a cane.



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