But as much as he might want to fight it, delay it, ignore it, Paterno is rapidly approaching the biggest change of all, the end of his lengthy and legendary tenure in Happy Valley.
While no one, save perhaps Paterno, athletic director Tim Curley, and president Graham Spanier, knows exactly when that day will come, several factors have fueled speculation that this could be his farewell season.
There is his health. He suffered a broken leg in 2006, had a hip replaced two years later. Digestive problems this off-season forced him to cancel several appearances and curtail other off-field commitments.
A departure after 2010 would guarantee some impressively round numbers for the Hall of Fame plaque. Paterno would have been at Penn State for 60 years, been head man for 45 years, and, assuming these Nittany Lions can manage at least six wins, he would be the first coach to reach 400. (Paterno claims such statistics mean little. "When I'm down and looking up, are they going to put 399 on top of me, or are they going to put 401? Who the hell cares?")
Maybe more significant, 2011 already will be marked by other major changes for Penn State football, creating a scenario that could make the long-dreaded coaching switch less pronounced. The Nittany Lions and the rest of the Big Ten will realign to accommodate new member Nebraska. And university officials, seeking to milk the athletic department's cash cow once more for desperately needed revenue, will reshuffle Beaver Stadium's seating arrangements.
"I really think this could be his last season," said Mike Poorman, who since 2007 has taught a popular Penn State class on the coach, Joe Paterno: Communications and the Media. "This is the first time I've ever thought that."
