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BY JERRY KELLAR JKELLAR@LEADER.NET
Tuesday, February 08, 2000 Page: 1B
Joe Paterno announced an unprecedented number of staff changes for Penn
State’s football team on Monday. None of them, the 73-year-old coach made it
clear, should be interpreted as a move to lighten the boss’ authority or
workload.
“I’m going to work with everything,” Paterno said. “I’m going to have a
hand in everything.”
The primary changes involved longtime assistants Fran Ganter and Tom
Bradley, and neither move was all that surprising.
Ganter, the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator/running backs coach who’s
entering his 30th season with the team, assumes the new title of assistant
head coach and will continue to “supervise the offense.”
“He (Paterno) just said I’m going to do this because you deserve it,”
Ganter said Monday.
Bradley, a 21-year veteran at PSU and defensive secondary coach since 1996,
will take control of the Lions’ defense.
Paterno purposely omitted the word “coordinator” when listing the
changes.
“I’ve always hated that term,” he explained. “(People) assume when he’s
the coordinator, it’s his offense or it’s his defense. Almost every decision
that’s made is made on a staff basis. It’s gotten to the point where it takes
away from the unity of your staff.”
Paterno also told reporters during the half-hour conference call not to
assume Ganter will automatically take over the head coaching duties when – and
IF? – the head coach steps down.
“Don’t read more into it than you should, as far as Fran being my
successor,” Paterno said. “Certainly, Fran would be a great candidate if I
were to retire tomorrow, but I in no way am trying to make the decision for
this university five years from now.
“I don’t think it’s fair to Frannie or anybody else on the staff. Fran’s
done a heck of a job for this program, a great job. I think it’s only
appropriate that he get that title.”
Ganter said Paterno’s eventual successor was not discussed in any of the
meetings.
“All I can worry about really is the present and next season,” Ganter
said. “To look beyond that would not be useful or productive in any way.
There were no promises made.”
Paterno admitted Bradley was his top choice to take over for Jerry
Sandusky. who ended his 32 years with the program following a 24-0 victory
over Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.
“Tommy, from day one, was probably going to head up the defense,” he
said. “I felt Tom really has not gotten as much credit as he should have.”
Additionally, former Lion football co-captains Al Golden and Bob White will
join the coaching staff.
An assistant at Boston College the past three seasons, Golden, a Lion tight
end from 1989-91, will become the linebackers coach. White, who played on
Paterno’s national championship teams of 1982 and ’86, has been a member of
Penn State’s athletic department as an assistant to the athletic director. He
will assist with the defensive line and handle special teams.
“I’m just delighted we could get these two fine people,” Paterno said.
The remainder of the personnel duties are as follows:
Dick Anderson, formerly the quarterbacks coach, will handle the offensive
line along with Bill Kenney;
Kenny Jackson will remain the receivers’ coach.
Larry Johnson, formerly in charge of defensive ends and special teams,
will handle the defensive line.
Jay Paterno, PSU’s recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach, will coach
the quarterbacks. His father was unsure if Jay would remain in charge of
recruiting.
Lastly, veteran defensive line coach Joe Sarra will move into an
administrative role as assistant to the head coach for special projects,
meaning Sarra will handle all the little things that command Paterno’s time.
He will handle sports camps, deal with sports agents and professional teams,
and be in charge of speaking requests for coaches and players, as well as
athletic fund-raising.
Paterno, who only two weeks ago signed on for five more years as Penn
State’s coach, decided to stir things up after Sandusky announced he was
leaving the university before the 1999 season.
“It was time for everybody to take a look at the whole thing,” he said.