Joe Paterno, Division I's all-time winningest coach who was fired by Penn State in November, has experienced further complications from treatment from lung cancer and is in "serious" condition, a family spokesman said in a statement Saturday.
"Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications," a Paterno family spokesman said Saturday. "His doctors have now characterized his status as serious. His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time."
The 85-year old Paterno has been battling lung cancer.
A source told The Citizens' Voice on Saturday that the Paterno family has asked close friends and former staff members to come to the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College where Paterno has been undergoing treatment.
Paterno won two national championships and a Division I record 409 games over 46 seasons at Penn State and the Paterno family has donated millions of dollars to the school.
But Paterno's legacy was clouded in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has resulted in 52 counts of child molestation against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Paterno had announced his retirement early on Nov. 9, but the Penn State board of trustees fired him and school president Graham Spanier about 12 hours later.
Paterno's cancer diagnosis was revealed Nov. 18, just nine days after he was fired. He recently re-entered the hospital after complications arose from his cancer treatments.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
