Joe Paterno

Head coach, Penn State, 1966 to 2011

College career409-136-3
Titles2national
Program liftNo. 41of 1,290 tenures since 1937

Now

Career arc

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFBS medianPenn StateOhio StateOhio StatePittsburghPittsburghDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelPenn State when he took over: 50.5 (Power Program II), its final 1965 readingPenn State, 1966: 5-5, Power Program II1966Penn State, 1967: 8-2-1, Power Program IIPenn State, 1968: 11-0, Power Program IPenn State, 1969: 11-0, Power Program IPenn State, 1970: 7-3, Power Program IPenn State, 1971: 11-1, Power Program IPenn State, 1972: 10-2, Power Program IPenn State, 1973: 12-0, Power Program IPenn State, 1974: 10-2, Power Program IPenn State, 1975: 9-3, Power Program IPenn State, 1976: 7-5, Power Program IPenn State, 1977: 11-1, Power Program IPenn State, 1978: 11-1, Power Program IPenn State, 1979: 8-4, Power Program IPenn State, 1980: 10-2, Power Program IPenn State, 1981: 10-2, Power Program IPenn State, 1982: 11-1, Blue Blood, national champion◆Penn State, 1983: 8-4-1, Blue BloodPenn State, 1984: 6-5, Blue BloodPenn State, 1985: 11-1, Blue BloodPenn State, 1986: 12-0, Blue Blood, national champion◆Penn State, 1987: 8-4, Blue BloodPenn State, 1988: 5-6, Blue BloodPenn State, 1989: 8-3-1, Blue BloodPenn State, 1990: 9-3, Blue BloodPenn State, 1991: 11-2, Blue BloodPenn State, 1992: 7-5, Blue BloodPenn State, 1993: 10-2, Blue BloodPenn State, 1994: 12-0, Blue BloodPenn State, 1995: 9-3, Blue BloodPenn State, 1996: 11-2, Blue BloodPenn State, 1997: 9-3, Blue BloodPenn State, 1998: 9-3, Power Program IPenn State, 1999: 10-3, Power Program IPenn State, 2000: 5-7, Power Program IPenn State, 2001: 5-6, Power Program IPenn State, 2002: 9-4, Power Program IPenn State, 2003: 3-9, Power Program IPenn State, 2004: 4-7, Power Program IPenn State, 2005: 11-1, Power Program IPenn State, 2006: 9-4, Power Program IPenn State, 2007: 9-4, Power Program IPenn State, 2008: 11-2, Power Program IPenn State, 2009: 11-2, Power Program IPenn State, 2010: 7-6, Power Program IPenn State, 2011: 8-1, Power Program IPenn State, 2011: 8-1, Power Program I2011+25.2best: 1986bracket: consecutive-win streak · ◆ national title · gray dashed: rival programs · ○ the program when he took over · Dashed segments are program changes20-game win streak (1993-95)

Bowls and playoffs: 22-13

’71W’72L’73W’74W’75L’76L’77W’78L’79W’80W’81W’82W’83W’85L’86W’87L’89W’90L’91W’92L’93W’94W’95W’96W’97L’98W’99W’02L’05W’06W’07W’08L’09W’10L’11L

Show all 35 games
1971Cotton Bowl ClassicW 30-61972Sugar BowlL 0-14LSU1973Orange BowlW 16-9BAY1974Cotton Bowl ClassicW 41-201975Sugar BowlL 6-13ND1976Gator BowlL 9-201977Fiesta BowlW 42-301978Sugar BowlL 7-141979Liberty BowlW 9-61980Fiesta BowlW 31-191981Fiesta BowlW 26-101982Sugar BowlW 27-231983Aloha BowlW 13-101985Orange BowlL 10-251986Fiesta BowlW 14-101987Florida Citrus BowlL 10-351989Holiday BowlW 50-391990Blockbuster BowlL 17-241991Fiesta BowlW 42-171992Blockbuster BowlL 3-241993Citrus BowlW 31-131994Rose BowlW 38-201995Outback BowlW 43-141996Fiesta BowlW 38-151997Florida Citrus BowlL 6-211998Outback BowlW 26-141999Alamo BowlW 24-02002Capital One BowlL 9-132005Orange BowlW 26-232006Outback BowlW 20-102007Alamo BowlW 24-172008Rose BowlL 24-382009Capital One BowlW 19-172010Outback BowlL 24-372011TicketCity BowlL 14-30

Report card

Above the median offense — 74th percentile.

Penn State, every completed season graded against the whole field, then averaged.

Offense

B+
of which —74th
efficiency — 74th percentile success rate, 2004–11
B+72nd
Standard-downs success
B+73rd
Passing-downs success
B+72nd
Trench push (line yards)
B+72nd
Red-zone scoring rate
C+48th
Power-success (short yardage)
B-53rd
Ball security (giveaways per game)

Each season is his team’s percentile among every team with that stat (the share it beat), averaged over his completed seasons here; a mid-season takeover year and the season in progress aren’t graded. Letters: A+ 90th percentile and up, A 80, B+ 70, B 60, B− 50, C+ 45, C 40, C− 30, D 15, F below.