One of the many sanctions the NCAA levied on to Penn State this morning was the vacating of wins from 1998-2011.
While meaningless in the grand scheme of what PSU is about to face on its long road to recovery, the decision does move Joe Paterno down the list of all-time winningest coaches.
Back on top for major college football? Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden with 377, as was mentioned earlier.
But Bowden, a longtime friend of Paterno’s, wishes he didn’t reclaim the winningest coaching title this way.
“There is no rejoicing in the Bowden household,” a statement from the Bowden family read. “Nobody would want to have a title given to him this way.”
Tommy Bowden, who coached at Clemson, gave ESPN.com a similar stance.
“His record speaks for itself, and it’s my father so you’d like to be happy for him,” Bowden said. “But under the circumstances, it pales in comparison to how significant those problems are and the lives that have been affected.”
It’s tough, if not downright impossible, to think about victories in a time like this. That’s why the city of Grambling was beyond out of line when it was announced last week it wanted some of Paterno’s wins vacated (Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson had 408 victories).
Nobody actually “wins” in this situation.