Just as Penn State fans were beginning to catch their breath after the leaked “Pat Kraft Tapes,” former Nittany Lion All-American linebacker LaVar Arrington reignited the fire. On his national podcast 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox, Arrington pulled back the curtain even further on the internal dysfunction surrounding Penn State football.
The backdrop to his comments is the ongoing and highly criticized coaching search led by athletic director Kraft. Penn State has struggled to land a replacement following James Franklin’s firing, and Arrington believes he knows why. According to him, top candidates are turning away not because of the job itself, but because of the toxicity, politics, and power struggles tied to Joe Paterno’s legacy.
Much of Arrington’s criticism focused on — Joe’s son and a member of Penn State’s Board of Trustees.
Arrington described Jay as a central figure in the internal politicking that contributed to Franklin’s ouster.
“The Paterno family is such a prominent figure in the history of the school,” Arrington said. “Jay Paterno was basically at the center of politicking to get James Franklin out. He didn’t want Franklin there. I often wonder what exactly he wants to happen so he can leave us alone.”
Arrington went further, expressing frustration that Penn State’s reputation and coaching search have been undermined by individuals clinging to the past.
“I just wish Jay Paterno and (trustee Anthony) Lubrano could go somewhere and never come back to the Penn State community. To think you’d be okay shorting the stock of our credibility, the stability and prestige your dad helped build, that you’d be part of why things are falling apart…it’s crazy.”
According to Arrington, these issues are not new. He argues they trace back to the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the university’s decision to remove Paterno’s statue in 2012.
“It ultimately comes back to this singular agenda,” he said. “There are money people tied to the Paterno name. Jay Paterno and his crony Lubrano have been manipulating things for years. This isn’t a new problem because we had a botched coaching search. This has been ongoing ever since the statue was removed.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Arrington also believes interim head coach Terry Smith is being used as a political pawn elevated publicly as a legitimate candidate while also serving as a tool to advance the Paterno faction’s broader goal of rehabilitating Joe Paterno’s legacy. He referenced Smith wearing the “409” pin during the Nebraska game as one example that fueled this dynamic.
Penn State Interim HC Terry Smith Explains Joe Paterno Tribute
“It’s not about Terry Smith getting the head coaching job,” Arrington said. “It’s about the ulterior motive of using Terry Smith to push the agenda of clearing Joe’s name.”
Arrington even offered his interpretation of why Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who played and coached at Penn State and previously worked with Kraft at Temple, distanced himself from the job so early.
“Looking back now, Matt Rhule was basically saying, ‘I love Penn State, I love the program, I respect Pat Kraft…but there are other issues.’ He was telling us without saying it that this is the issue.”
Arrington’s commentary adds another explosive layer to a coaching search already marred by leaks, factionalism and public embarrassment.
His accusations reinforce the narrative that Penn State’s biggest obstacle may not be finding the right coach, but resolving deep internal fractures that have persisted for more than a decade.
