PS
Head coach · Penn State · belt games 1966–2010
Joe Paterno
363Days with the belt
2Reigns started
6–2Defending it
2–4Challenging for it
Coached Penn State (1966–2010) in seasons with a belt game. 14 belt games in all: 8 with the belt in hand, 6 trying to take it.
Joe Paterno was on a sideline for 14 belt games between 1966 and 2010, at Penn State. He took the belt twice and held it for 363 days across two reigns.
The first came on October 25, 1986, Penn State 23–3 over Alabama.
His longest reign ran 322 days with Penn State, beginning October 25, 1986, and was defended six times along the way.
Across his career he coached six successful defenses, and the belt changed hands under him twice, last when Clemson won 35–10 on January 1, 1988.
He also coached four games with the belt on the other sideline and came away without it. The closest was 21–0 to Georgia Tech on November 12, 1966.
Reigns
Started under this coach
Every belt game
14 games, newest first
September 11, 2010 · Penn State at Alabama 3–24 as challengerlostSeptember 23, 2006 · Penn State at Ohio State 6–28 as challengerlostSeptember 1, 2001 · Penn State vs. Miami 7–33 as challengerlostJanuary 1, 1988 · Penn State vs. Clemson 10–35 as holderlost the beltNovember 21, 1987 · Penn State vs. Notre Dame 21–20 as challengertook the beltSeptember 12, 1987 · Penn State vs. Alabama 13–24 as holderlost the beltSeptember 5, 1987 · Penn State vs. Bowling Green 45–19 as holderdefendedJanuary 2, 1987 · Penn State vs. Miami 14–10 as holderdefendedNovember 22, 1986 · Penn State vs. Pittsburgh 34–14 as holderdefendedNovember 15, 1986 · Penn State at Notre Dame 24–19 as holderdefendedNovember 8, 1986 · Penn State vs. Maryland 17–15 as holderdefendedNovember 1, 1986 · Penn State at West Virginia 19–0 as holderdefendedOctober 25, 1986 · Penn State at Alabama 23–3 as challengertook the beltNovember 12, 1966 · Penn State at Georgia Tech 0–21 as challengerlost
Head coaches from the College Football Data API’s coaching records, matched by team and season. A reign counts for the coach in charge the season it began; a mid-season change isn’t split.