Penn State head coach Joe Paterno claims that he doesn’t think the school’s recruiting will be negatively affected by the negotiations that are going on surrounding his contract and future at the university.

Paterno claims that honesty is always the best policy, as reported by Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press:

When the subject comes up with a high school prospect, the 81-year-old Paterno said Saturday, he “tells them exactly what I think. I hope I’m going to coach here, while you’re here, I may not … who knows what’s going to happen?

It was his first meeting with reporters since university president Graham Spanier said the school and Paterno agreed that a new contract beyond this year isn’t necessary for a man entering his 43rd season on the sideline with the Nittany Lions. They plan to meet at the end of the season, as usual, to discuss the future.

Paterno suspended running back Austin Scott on Oct. 5 for a violation of team rules, and the tailback was charged a week later. Scott’s lawyer, John Karoly, said in a statement Friday night that Paterno “had never bothered to even ask (Scott) for his side of the story” before the player was kicked off the team.

Paterno just barely missed out on Terrelle Pryor, the number one rated high school player in the country, as the quarterback decided to attend Ohio State.

The coach also hopes to have the legal troubles his players are in dealt with before the season starts.

For more news on Penn State reported by the Biz of Football check here.

More recent news form around the league can be found here.

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