Paterno was the recipient of the inaugural Bryant Coach of the Year Award in 1986 and was a finalist in 1994 and 2005. He also won the award in 1978 and '82 before the Bryant-American Heart Association sponsorship began. Paterno is a candidate for the honor for the second consecutive year, having led Penn State to an 11-2 record and the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl berth in 2008.

In his 44th season as Penn State head coach and 60th as a member of the coaching staff, Paterno has led the Nittany Lions to a 7-1 overall record and the No. 12 ranking in the Associated Press and Bowl Championship Series rankings and the No. 10 spot in the USA Today Coaches poll.

The Nittany Lions are 47-12 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, the nation’s ninth-best record over that span, with two Big Ten titles and Bowl Championship Series appearances.

Paterno is the all-time leader in victories among major college coaches. A 1950 graduate of Brown University, he owns a career record of 390-128-3. A three-time recipient of the Dave McClain-Big Ten Coach of the Year, his winning percentage of 75.1 ranks second among active coaches with 10 or more years as an FBS head coach.