Paterno treated, released from hospital

5/15/2008 6:12 PM

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -Penn State coach Joe Paterno spent several hours at a hospital being treated for dehydration before returning home late Thursday.

The 81-year-old coach had been working at home late in the morning when he began feeling nauseated and was taken by ambulance to Mount Nittany Medical Center, team spokesman Guido D'Elia said. Paterno had tests at the hospital but was not admitted.

Paterno was released and back home Thursday evening, and doctors determined he suffered from dehydration, team officials said.

The Hall of Fame coach was still expected to travel to Austin, Texas, on Friday, where he was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at a dinner honoring Longhorns coach Mack Brown, the university said in a statement.

JoePa has kept a busy schedule lately, attending an alumni function in Philadelphia last weekend before traveling to Chicago for meetings with Big Ten coaches earlier this week. He was on the phone with two recruits Thursday morning before feeling ill, D'Elia said.

Paterno's son and Penn State quarterbacks coach, Jay, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that his father was OK.

``It's no big deal,'' Jay Paterno said before his father returned home. ``If it's dehydration, he's probably all talked out.''

Paterno is about to embark on his record 43rd season as head coach. With 372 career wins, he's second to Florida State's Bobby Bowden (373) among major college coaches.

Questions about Paterno's health and age have dogged him for years, but he has repeatedly downplayed the issues.

His contract is up after this season, though school president Graham Spanier has said that a contract isn't necessary in order for Paterno to continue working. They have agreed to revisit the issue at the end of the season during their annual offseason meetings.