Former Penn State football head coach compiled a 409-136-3 record leading the Nittany Lions from 1966-2011, which included two national titles and a 24-12-1 bowl game record. He finished his tenure with a 74.9 win percentage and holds the NCAA records for both bowl appearances and wins.
Over multiple decades and hundreds of wins are rivalries he sparked with various teams across the country. The blue and white joined the Big Ten in 1993, meaning not all of Paterno's rivalry wins were against conference opponents.
Here are the top three rivalries from the former Penn State head coach's tenure:
*Honorable Mention: Ohio State (8-14 record vs. the Buckeyes, including Paterno's 324th career win which set an all-time record among head coaches)
3.) Notre Dame
Penn State and Notre Dame faced off 15 times during Paterno's tenure, which isn't a particularly long rivalry, but it included the "12-year war" from 1981-1992. Before his time, the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish had met just four times between 1913 and 1928. When the teams met next, it was decades and five Notre Dame national titles later.
Paterno met the Fighting Irish in the 1976 Gator Bowl. Three years prior, the 12-0 Nittany Lions were denied a national championship and Notre Dame took home its 17th. Former Fighting Irish head coach Dan Bevine defeated Penn State in the bowl game, 20-9, handing Paterno his third postseason loss in his career.
In nine of the next 12 games, at least one of the two programs were ranked. In 1982, the Nittany Lions leaped to No. 2 in the polls after a 24-14 in South Bend. Soon enough, that season ended in Paterno's first national title and the Fighting Irish didn't make a bowl game appearance.
In 2007, the teams met for the last time in Paterno's tenure and ended the rivalry on a high note. Penn State beat Notre Dame 31-10 at Beaver Stadium.
2.) Michigan State
A rivalry was formed between the Nittany Lions and Spartans during Paterno's tenure, which was only emphasized by creating a trophy for the winner. The Land Grant Trophy was awarded to the victor of these Penn State-Michigan State battles, recognizing the two schools being the country's oldest land grant universities.
This rivalry sparked in 1993 and lasted until 2023 when the two teams last met in the final weekend of the regular season (AKA "Rivalry Week"). While the two still meet and the trophy is still awarded, 2023 was the last time they were pinned as rivals in Week 14.
Paterno and former Spartans head coach George Perles came up with the land grant rivalry, but the teams had played 10 games prior to the creation of the trophy. Michigan State held an 8-1-1 record over the Nittany Lions before 1993.
Penn State took home the first four Land Grant Trophy victories before the Spartans won their first battle in 1997. This was one of just two wins Michigan State logged before 2000. Though the Spartans found a stretch of victories, including a three-game win streak, that didn't happen until after Paterno's tenure.
Nov. 27, 2010 was the last time he faced Michigan State. Paterno lost that battle 28-22, but finished his tenure with a 13-6 record versus the Spartans.
1.) Pittsburgh
"The Keystone Classic" is, of course, No. 1 on this list. This wasn't a rivalry that sparked or gained traction during Paterno's tenure, but he sent the Nittany Lions on a huge win streak versus the Panthers in his first decade.
In 1966, Paterno beat Pittsburgh 48-24 and he continued defeating the in-state rival up until their meeting in 1976. The 10-game win streak included blowout wins, such as 1967's 42-6 and 1968's 65-9 victories.
Though the Panthers found pockets of wins, including back-to-back victories (e.g. 1979-80 and 1987-88), the Nittany Lions were too dominant with Paterno to let Pittsburgh go on a run. From 1989-1999, Penn State went on another win streak. The teams met seven times over this time.
Though Paterno's last game versus the Panthers ended in a 12-0 loss in 2000, he accumulated a 23-7-1 record against Pittsburgh.
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