Paterno downplays pact worries

Penn State’s legendary coach has one year remaining on his contract.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Munching on a slice of pizza in between sentences, Joe Paterno didn’t look or sound too worried about his future.

So what if he’s entering the final year of his contract?

“I don’t even care if I get a contract. I’ll be very frank with you,” the 81-year-old Paterno said Saturday in his first meeting with reporters in three months. “I think the university will do what they think is right, whenever the time comes. Right now, I’m very comfortable.”

“What do I need an extension for?” he asked before joking that he could coach “just another 10 years.”

Asked later whether he would feel comfortable going year-to-year, Paterno said “Absolutely. Absolutely. Why not?”

This fall will mark Paterno’s 43rd season as head coach, though the man who holds the record for coaching longevity said he isn’t mulling retirement. He tried to downplay speculation about his future during the 35-minute news conference following a rare practice open to the media.

“I have no problem. I’m not looking for a contract, I’m not looking for anything,” Paterno said during the often lighthearted exchange with reporters.

School president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley have spoken recently with Paterno, and Curley has said there is no timetable to make any decisions.

Paterno, who has no agent, said he hasn’t had negotiations, though he has spoken with administrators “about the situation.” Save for one instance during his tenure, Paterno said administrators approach him about contract issues, not the other way around.

“I don’t see any reason to get in to all this stuff,” Paterno said, adding that he was hesitant to do anything that would be detrimental to the program’s future. “You don’t think I’d put this many years into this thing and, you know, want to screw it up?”

Paterno took over as head coach in 1966 from Rip Engle after serving as Engle’s assistant for 16 years. The former aspiring lawyer has become the second-winningest major college coach with 372 victories, one behind Florida State’s Bobby Bowden.

Paterno said Saturday he wouldn’t mind seeing someone on his staff follow in his footsteps, a sentiment he’s expressed in the past. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, a Paterno assistant for 30 years, might be the top in-house candidate, though JoePa steered clear of endorsing a succession plan — let alone naming names.

“Whether that’s in the cards, I don’t know right now. It depends on when I get out of it,” he said.