Joe Might Go (JoePa Rumors Deciphered)

Call it speculation, call it e-mail rumors, and for some you can even call it hope. The word is alive and spreading like wildfire that this may be JoePa's last year. Some people want to claim that it is his diminishing quality of health (stomach cancer, hearing at conferences, speech issues, etc.) and others want to claim that it is because of his sub par performance this past year. The truth is that no one really knows the truth behind these things because they jump the gun, make assumptions, and want to be right when the news does finally break. The problem is that most of these people are always wrong and don't take five minutes to examine the situation in its entirety, which is why I exist because most of you are too lazy to do the research and I'm obsessed with the art of persuasion.

So let us take a look at the facts that have everyone jumping the gun. There are two main factors as to why everyone is going crazy. The first of which is this e-mail rumor that is going around that JoePa has some sort of stomach or intestinal cancer. Now there is no way of knowing if there is any truth to these rumors, but for heaven's sake, I hope none of these rumors are true. There is one thing that I'm certain of, and that is if JoePa does have cancer, he would definitely downplay the seriousness of the issue, and the best part of this is that he would definitely be a fighter. In the end, we would all be the last to officially find out from JoePa because he would not want to create any distractions, as well as take anything away from the players in their bowl game (remember when 400 was just another game?).

Now the second part of the equation is the fact that his assistants are being very proactive in searching for openings around the country. Most of his assistants, including big names, such as Vandy and Bradley, have been putting their name out there in consideration for other jobs. The speculation here is that JoePa is definitely done after this season and that these coaches need to find a new place to call home for the future. I assure you, that none of these coaches will go unemployed longer than a few months, especially with other coaches knowing their pedigree and degree of success. However, to use this as an argument to reinforce the primary claim that Paterno has cancer does not necessarily make it true.

What does ring true from these events is exactly what I have been preaching the past couple of years. That when Joe Paterno does leave the Penn State Program, that the new coach hired will be from outside of the Penn State football family. A lot of you are already moaning and groaning, crying about the integrity of the program going down hill, and Penn State losing its integrity, but none of that is true. What is true is that the new candidate will have a huge legacy to follow and carry on, but with their hiring, they will usher in a new excitement to the Penn State program. Just take a look at some of the most recent Penn State hires, they have been from outside the Penn State family, big names, and paid big money:

• Cael Sanderson, graduated from Iowa State University, previous post was at Iowa State University, hired as Penn State's new wrestling coach 2 years ago. Sanderson is the most decorated athlete in collegiate athletic history, as he is the only wrestler to go 159-0 and win four National Titles (add an Olympic Gold Medal from 2004) during his time as a Cyclone, and Curley lured him away from his Alma Mater.
• Coquese Washington, graduated Notre Dame, previous post was an assistant at Notre Dame, hired as Penn State's Women's Basketball Coach in 2007. She was an integral part of the coaching staff that led Notre Dame to win the National Championship in 2001.
• Bob Warming, graduated Berea College, previous post was Head Coach at Creighton University, hired as Penn State's head soccer coach in May of 2010. Warming is 15th in Division 1 history with 376 wins over 32 full seasons as a head coach. He has led two different teams to the Collegiate level Championships (only coach in history to do so), and in his 12 years at Creighton, he only failed to reach the Championship tournament just once.

The list can go on and on if you would like. Take a look at both the men's and women's lacrosse team coaches that were hired as of late. They fit the exact same profile, the exact same pedigrees. All of these coaches have a few things in common, they are from outside the Penn State family, they have all experienced a lot of success in their coaching careers, and they are all big names in their respective sports (you can also throw in that they are all under the age of 50 and paid very well). The last coach that Penn State hired that did not fit this profile was Ed Dechellis, and with the way things are looking this year, it looks like that era might also come to an end. Another encouraging factor to take into consideration is the hiring process for the new Division I Men's/Women's Hockey programs, the athletic department is not just simply hiring on the club coach, they are performing a detailed search for the most qualified candidates that fit this profile.

Whether or not JoePa is leaving, there is one truth we can take out of all this speculation. The main point is that the future of this program is going to be in the hands of someone that does not have any ties to Penn State. That the program, when Joe does leave, is going to be put into great hands, a guy with a proven track record, and a guy that has had great success at this level and/or even the next level. Finally, that when Joe does pass on his legacy, that the new candidate will not only be just a big name hire, he will be a candidate to further Joe's legacy. So let the Tony Dungy, Dan Mullen, and Chris Peterson (the only one that fits the profile) rumors transpire and catch fire among the blogosphere because JoePa doesn't care about the hearsay. He's just got one thing on his mind and that's the Florida Gators.

WE ARE........................