As the Penn State football team awaits its opponent in next month's Rose Bowl, coach Joe Paterno is recovering from surgery.
Paterno underwent hip replacement surgery Sunday Nov. 23, and was released from the hospital two days later, the university said in a press release.
At the time of the release, Nov. 25, Paterno was no longer experiencing hip-related pain, and will continue his rehabilitation at home.
He was expected to be walking by today, but there has been no word on his current condition. Penn State's football communications and branding director Guido D'Elia could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Paterno had surgery just one day following the Nittany Lions' 49-18 win over then-
No. 15 Michigan State.
The victory clinched a share of the Big Ten championship for the Lions and a secured a berth in the Rose Bowl, played annually on Jan. 1.
It was Penn State's second Big Ten crown in four years, third overall, and first trip to Pasadena since the 1994-95 season. It was also Penn State's 800th win in program history, becoming just the sixth program to achieve that mark.
After the win Paterno also said he has "no plans to leave."
Paterno also spoke during a pep rally at Rec Hall the Friday before Michigan State and said he would "run out of that tunnel" in 2009. Previously, the head coach has said he would
like to get on the road to recruit.
Paterno said he will sit down sometime in the next couple of weeks with President Graham Spanier and Athletic Director Tim Curley to decide a course of action. Spanier and Curley were standing nearby when Paterno made the remarks but left the room shortly thereafter.
"I'm planning on coming back, yeah," Paterno said back on Nov. 22. "I never planned otherwise. Everyone's making a big deal that I don't have a contract signed. I've never even asked to do that. ... Right now, I have no plans to leave, but we'll see."
Paterno has left indicators throughout the season he would be coming back -- his contract expires at the end of this season, and he will turn 82 in December -- but his comments reflected the first time Paterno made it clear he would like to return next season.
"This isn't the first time that the end of the season came and people didn't know if he was going to be back or not," wide receiver Deon Butler said. "We kind of just see him here as having an eternal life here, so we weren't bothered about it. We knew he would be back another year or so."
