Paterno’s only concern is with Texas A&M on Dec. 29
The Penn State coach will turn 81 next week.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — This is the time of year when the coaching carousel spins furiously in college football — not that Joe Paterno is paying much attention.
He’s too busy preparing to coach his 500th career game, the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Dec. 29.
Paterno said Thursday he didn’t know that Michigan had yet to replace the retired Lloyd Carr, or that his good friend and contemporary, Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, had recently named offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher as his eventual successor.
“I don’t have a computer. I don’t have any e-mail. I don’t have any of that stuff,” Paterno said at bowl media day. “That’s number one. Number two, unless you pick up the paper, you can’t read it, right?”
It’s typical Paterno, said senior running back Rodney Kinlaw. Paterno, who turns 81 next week, has typically eschewed modern technology like e-mail and cell phones.
“That’s how Joe is,” Kinlaw said. “He probably has everything up in his head.”
Foremost on Paterno’s mind Thursday was trying to set the rest of his team’s practice schedule before the Nittany Lions (8-4) head south Dec. 23. Final exams start Monday at Penn State and Paterno doesn’t want workouts to interfere.
He’s got his own prep work to do, too, including watching film on quarterback Stephen McGee and bowl opponent Texas A&M (7-5), though that didn’t prevent Paterno from heaping praise on the Aggies.
“I don’t know whether we’ve played anybody with more talent than Texas A&M, from what I’ve seen,” he said.
Paterno said defensive tackle Chris Baker and linebacker Navorro Bowman, who face trial on misdemeanor assault charges in connection with an on-campus fight in October, will both make the trip to Texas, though their playing time has yet to be determined.
Cornerback Knowledge Timmons is in the same situation, Paterno said. Timmons had been issued a summons on misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass for an incident directly after the fight.
Baker, Bowman and Timmons each sat out Penn State’s regular season finale last month at Michigan State.
Also, linebacker Sean Lee and cornerback Justin King, both juniors, have sent paperwork to the NFL advisory committee to receive feedback on their potential draft status. Lee said Thursday that he will return for his senior season and the exercise is for evaluation purposes.
King, who will receive his degree next Saturday, said there is a “50-50” chance he will turn pro.
But Paterno, whose contract expires at the end of next season, isn’t thinking about the end of his career.
“I just feel so good right now, and I’d hate to put a timetable on when I’m going to get out of here,” he said.