trustees

voted to

fire him. Vice chairman John Surma announced the decision.

JOHN SURMA: "Joe Paterno is no longer the head football coach,

effective immediately

."

Mr. Surma also announced the dismissal of Penn State's president. Graham Spanier led Penn State, a public research university, for sixteen years.

There was violence Wednesday night as some students went into the streets near campus to show their support for Mr. Paterno.

Mr. Paterno spoke to students who gathered in front of his house after his firing.

JOE PATERNO: ''One thing, thanks and pray a little bit for those victims.''

The Education Department says it is investigating whether Penn State failed to report incidents of sexual abuse on campus, as required by federal law.

Mr. Paterno, known as "Joe Pa," turned a rural college into a national sports leader. His so-called Grand Experiment

aimed to

show that college players could be both good athletes and good students. He had four hundred nine victories. He guided Penn State to five

undefeated

seasons and two national championships.

The team is ranked twelfth in the nation. They play their last

home game

of the season on Saturday against nineteenth-ranked Nebraska.

In other sports news, team owners and the players union in the National Basketball Association completed their latest negotiations on Thursday. Those efforts ended with a proposal for the players to