I am a big football fan, and a long time admirer of Paterno until this week, so I have looked at this trying to give the benefit of the doubt to the athletic department and the university. That being said I’m sorry, but you are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG about Paterno.
All you need to know is that Paterno tolerated that monster remaining on his staff after he knew exactly what type of sick pervert he is. That in itself is grounds for immediate dismissal, and no amount of charity, or working below market rate can make up in even a small way for this complete lack of moral character.
The desire to delay this (and indeed the complete coverup since 2002) is rooted entirely in the belief that the football program is more important than criminal sexual abuse of children. That is the biggest indictment of Penn State and all the individuals involved, and I wouldn’t be sorry to see them all banned permanently from college football.
If there was some way that Paterno continuing could undo some of the damage or right some of the wrong, then maybe you’d have a point. But it can’t, so you don’t.
It goes back at least to 1998.
He was NOT on the staff when this happened.