What type of person is Coastal Carolina's athletic director?
He was once entrusted enough to babysit Joe Paterno's three children.
Warren Koegel, who oversees the burgeoning football program that will play its first game against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent Saturday, captained Penn State's 1970 team with Jack Ham.
When Paterno ran low on options to watch his three children, he called on Ham and Koegel once or twice.
"Great guys," Paterno said.
Koegel and one of Coastal Carolina's quarterbacks, William Richardson, share a connection to Penn State. Richardson's brother, Wally, started for two seasons from 1995-96 and led Penn State to a 20-5 record, two bowl wins and an increasingly more rare win against Michigan.
Richardson started last season but lost his job in the spring as Chanticleers coach Dave Bennett decides who to start for Saturday's game.
"I think he just really knows what to expect," Wally Richardson said. "He knows it's gonna be a loud crowd, it's the opening game and it's going to be interesting to see what type of team Penn State has this year. It's gonna be a pretty good environment. Everybody's gonna be stoked."
Koegel played on two Orange Bowl champion teams, was a third-team All-American as a senior and went on to a five-year NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Jets.
He also played in the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine game, but the Hula Bowl has an interesting twist.
Paterno took Ham and Koegel to Hawaii in the only all-star game he ever coached.
The opponent's quarterback was Archie Manning.
But the quarterbacks on Paterno's team weren't bad, either.
"We had great quarterbacks by the name of [Jim] Plunkett and [Joe] Theismann," Paterno said.
Koegel begins his ninth year at Coastal Carolina and, like his college career, has found success. The Chanticleers have been a five-time recipient of the George F. "Buddy" Sasser Cup, awarded to the top athletic department in the Big South Conference.
He was also named the 2008 southeast region Football Championship Subdivision athletic director of the year.
"Really a delightful person," Paterno said. "He's done a good job down there."
Richardson, meanwhile, was lightly recruited by Paterno and Penn State out of high school. Paterno credited Richardson for being poised with a good motion, but Penn State took Daryll Clark that year instead.
Richardson received offers from Clemson and Memphis but went to Coastal Carolina for its atmosphere.
He admitted thoughts of playing major college football have crossed his mind.
"I don't really wish for it," William Richardson said. "I've thought about it. Everybody can't play in front of 100,000 people. I've come to accept it."
Wally Richardson and his brother maintain a close relationship despite a 12-year age gap. He will be at Saturday's game and hopes to attend two or three more Coastal Carolina games this season.
"I'm sure he'll take it all in," Richardson said of his brother. "But what I've told him is to concentrate on the field. ... He's in a good situation at Coastal Carolina, getting his degree, and everything has worked out in the end for him. I think he's happy."
