A spokesperson for Penn State football coach Joe Paterno tells NBC that JoePa will in fact retire at the end of the season.
In a statement Wednesday, Paterno himself confirmed that he will retire:
"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief," Paterno said.
"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today," Paterno said.
"That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season."
This shocker comes a day after Paterno’s son, Scott Paterno, reassured all Tuesday after Penn State officials canceled the head coach's press conference that his father had no plans to leave Penn State anytime soon.
Paterno was expected to field questions about a sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant coach in that conference.
JoePa told reporters and fans outside of his house Tuesday that he knows people want answers when it comes to the sex scandal involving one of his former coaches, Jerry Sandusky.
- Read Full Grand Jury Report [Warning: Graphic Material]
- Source: Sandusky Was on PSU Campus Last Week
Sandusky is the target of the grand jury investigation. He's accused of sexually abusing at least nine boys who attended youth sports camps he ran at a satellite campus for six years after he was barred from using Penn State's main campus.
The two men who put that ban in place -- athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz -- were charged with failing to tell police about Sandusky. Both have stepped down from their positions and surrendered to police.
Like the Curley and Schultz, questions as to whether Paterno did enough to prevent more boys from being sexually abused have arisen.
New York Times reported Tuesday that Penn State is planning Paterno's "exit" soon. But Scott Paterno fired back on Twitter saying "NYT report premature. No discussions about retirement with JVP."
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Paterno's statement finishes:
"At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.
"This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
"My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University."
Penn State's acting Athletics Director Mark Sherburne released a statement Wednesday about the athletic department's response to the scandal:
The Penn State Athletics family is devastated by the details in the Grand Jury presentment. Our hearts go out to the children involved and their families.
Every day we are entrusted with the lives of young people, and we do not -- nor have we ever -- taken that trust lightly. We are outraged that a valued trust has been broken. We can promise you that we are doing everything in our power to restore that broken trust. Everyone within athletics -- coaches, administrators, staff and student-athletes -- are committed to this pledge.
