Jay Paterno
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | State College, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1990 | Penn State |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1990–1992 | Virginia (GA) |
| 1993 | Connecticut (WR/TE) |
| 1994 | James Madison (QB) |
| 1995–1998 | Penn State (TE/RC) |
| 1999–2011 | Penn State (QB) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
Joseph Vincent "Jay" Paterno Jr.[1] is an American football coach who was most recently the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team under his father Joe Paterno, former head coach of the team. Also active in politics, Paterno unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014.[2][3] He is currently a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees.[4]
Playing career
[edit]Paterno played on the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 1986–1990 under his father Joe Paterno. He was a reserve quarterback during his senior year, in which he lettered. He also played for State College Area High School.
Coaching career
[edit]Paterno was on Penn State's staff for seventeen seasons, twelve of which he served as the quarterbacks coach. He created Penn State's "HD offense" which utilized skill players to touch the ball in a variety of ways. Derrick Williams played under this system. He also coached Michael Robinson to a Heisman Trophy finalist season in 2005. Paterno also served as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to being on the PSU staff, he served as a graduate assistant at Virginia from 1990 to 1992, wide receivers and tight ends coach at Connecticut in 1993, and as the quarterbacks coach at James Madison in 1994.[5] Paterno's coaching career at Penn State came to an end following the hiring of new head coach Bill O'Brien on January 7, 2012.
In 2011 Paterno was named best quarterbacks coach in the Big Ten by rivals.com. In 2008, he was named one of the best offensive coaches in the country following a Rose Bowl season.[citation needed]
After Penn State
[edit]Since his father's death and his dismissal, Paterno has written several guest columns. He has spoken at several young voters rallies including one sponsored by PSU Votes, a nonpartisan political initiative where both he and Penn State women's basketball coach Coquese Washington spoke.[6] Paterno sued Penn State University in federal court claiming the university violated state and federal law in dismissing him in January 2012, but the lawsuit was dismissed.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]Jay has four siblings: Diana, Mary Kay, David, and Scott. Unlike his father, who was a staunch Republican, Jay is a Democrat, and supported Barack Obama during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.[7]
In October 2013, several outlets reported that Paterno was considering running as a Democrat in Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district, which is based in State College.[8] Instead, Paterno announced in February 2014 that he would be a candidate in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2014 election.[9] Ultimately, he withdrew from the race in March 2014, citing the desire to avoid a legal battle over a challenge to his petition to achieve ballot access.[3] Paterno has five children, including a son named Joseph Vincent Paterno III.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ "Jay Paterno". Penn State Football. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Joe Paterno's Son Running For Lieutenant Governor In Pennsylvania". Huffington Post. February 20, 2014.
- ^ a b "Paterno Drops Out Of Lt. Gov. Race". PoliticsPA. March 28, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Wetzel, Dan (August 11, 2020). "College football's leadership void on full display as conferences go their separate ways". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jay Paterno". Penn State Football. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- ^ Nichols, Laura. "Jay Paterno, Coquese Washington Rally Young Voters". State College, PA.
- ^ "Jay Paterno jumps into politics". NCAAF Truth and Rumors. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex. Joe Paterno’s son looks at run for Congress. The Politico, 2013-10-24.
- ^ Foster, Brittany (February 20, 2014). "Jay Paterno To Run For Lt. Gov". PoliticsPA. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- American football quarterbacks
- American people of Italian descent
- UConn Huskies football coaches
- James Madison Dukes football coaches
- Joe Paterno
- Living people
- Penn State Nittany Lions football coaches
- Penn State Nittany Lions football players
- Pennsylvania Democrats
- People from State College, Pennsylvania
- Sportspeople from Centre County, Pennsylvania
- Players of American football from Pennsylvania
- Virginia Cavaliers football coaches
- State College Area High School alumni