STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - A secret memorandum drafted with the approval of Penn State's president made contingency plans in the event Joe Paterno, 79, had died on the operating table Sunday during surgery to repair a broken bone and knee ligament damage to his left leg. According to the memo, Penn State would have arranged for Paterno to coach this coming Saturday's game against Temple from a local funeral home. Penn State's director of communications Guido D'Elia refused to comment on the authenticity of the memo but noted, "I don't doubt [Paterno] could do it [coach from the funeral home], he's such a feisty guy. When he puts his mind to something, there's no holding him back."
Tom Bradley, Penn State's defensive coordinator, emphatically concurred. "Even dead, coach would still be the most qualified person to lead this team."
