In 46 seasons at Penn State, legendary football coach Joe Paterno won 409 games—more than any other coach in the history of college football—led five teams to undefeated, untied seasons, won two national championships, and demanded academic success from his players. A beloved figure in Happy Valley, "Joe Pa" endowed faculty positions and scholarships, and supported the construction of an interfaith spiritual center and a library that bears his name—until his inglorious dismissal under the dark shadow of the Sandusky scandal just months before his death in January 2012. Written with the full cooperation of Paterno and his family, National Sportswriter of the Year Joe Posnanski chronicles the coach’s career and legacy in Paterno.

In conversation with Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter Joe Juliano