JoePa reviews year with bosses, looks to '11

Joe Paterno has met with Penn State President Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley for their annual end-of-season review.

Bill Mahon, a spokesman for Spanier, said Saturday night the trio had an "excellent discussion" Friday about the status of the football program, and that the 84-year-old Paterno did indeed plan to coach next season.

Coaching plans beyond 2011 would be discussed at next year's review, Mahon said. JoePa is entering the final year of a three-year extension agreed to in 2008. Both sides have previously said he doesn't need a contract to keep a job he's held for more than four decades.

Paterno said in November he hadn't given thought to not returning, though it wasn't entirely his call, referring to his bosses at the university.

Still, Paterno, his assistants and players spent much of the week before the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 denying a spate of Internet-fueled rumors that he was retiring. The Nittany Lions lost 37-24 to Florida to drop to 7-6, the team's worst record since going 4-7 in 2004.

"Well, we should be further along, anyway," Paterno said in Tampa on Jan. 2 about next season. "The practice sessions were good experiences that I think will help us for next year. How much? It depends on whether the leadership comes in the winter program and spring practice. I won't know until then whether we've made some progress."

Paterno is major college football's victory leader with 401, seven behind Grambling's Eddie Robinson for second among coaches in all divisions. John Gagliardi, still active at Division III St. John's, Minn., leads with 478.

Mahon said the school did not anticipate making any formal statements about Friday's meeting.