College Football: 10 toughest coaching careers to follow

3. Joe Paterno (Penn State)

Few coaching legends are more embedded in the fabric of their universities than Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State leader whose career stretched for 47 years across parts of six different decades. While at State College, Paterno became a beloved figure in Happy Valley as his teams consistently challenged for major bowl berths and put themselves in the mix for national title contention.

Paterno took up the mantle for Rip Engle in 1966, and by year three the then-young coach engineered the first of five undefeated Nittany Lions seasons the team generated over the course of his career. Despite going 11-0 in both 1968 and 1969, however, Paterno and Penn State could not crack into the top spot in the major polls. The 1973 squad suffered a similar fate, finishing just fifth in the AP and Coaches polls.

It wasn’t until his 17th season at the helm that Paterno broke through to lead his charges to the school’s first national championship. Despite three previous undefeated teams, it was the 11-1 squad of 1982 that achieved the elusive goal. Paterno and the Nittany Lions added another national title in 1986.

Of course, following a man with more wins at the Division I level than any other coach in college football history would be tough enough. Even as his success waned later in his career, Paterno remained a beloved figure in the community. Only once the Sandusky scandal came to light was the coach finally forced out of his post, and even then it caused a major rift in the community. No matter who Penn State selected for the job, he was always going to have to exist in the shadow of Paterno’s legacy.