Joe Paterno Who's The Number 1 Greatest Coaches

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According to “ Who’s The Number 1 Greatest Coaches”, Joe Paterno is ranked number 16 out of 20, of best coaches in the world. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Joe Paterno always dreamed of going to law school, but found a better career when asked to assist Rip Engle, coach of the Cleveland Browns. From assisting he eventually became head coach in 1966 of the Penn State Nitanny Lions and stayed with them until his death in 2011, and was named a legendary coach. Joe Paterno was a coach of modesty but was still very stern and very competitive. Paterno’s philosophy was “Make an Impact”, whether that meant on or off the field. He harped on the fact of his players being “student-athletes”, “balancing academic excellence with athletic prowess.” Scott Shirley, former player on the Nittany Lions says, “ Paterno’s insistence that his players succeed off the field was the driving force behind the cancer fundraiser Lift for Life, which is run each year by the team.” Not only was Paterno a great coach but he was a great teacher, and that’s exactly was former ABC sports announcer said,” Great Coaches are Great Teachers.” Paterno made up what he called the “Grand Experiment”, this was a decision made by Paterno to have a team that would …show more content…

He wanted his athletes to succeed on and off the field at all times. He was modest and wanted to live by his philosophy, which was to make an impact, and wanted his players to do the same. He thrived on his players being student- athletes and coached with that mindset. Why is Joe Paterno one the greatest coaches? I believe it wasn’t just his national championships, various wins, or bowl games, but his tendency to put his athletes first, focus on their academics as well as their athleticism, and build their character as a team. His coaching style can be best defined as value- driven, he gave Penn State something to be proud of both through sports and through

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