Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died from lung cancer Sunday.

Paterno, 85, who won more college football games than anyone in the history of the sport, passed away in a Pennsylvania hospital just months after a child sex abuse scandal damaged his reputation and led to his removal as PSU’s head football coach.

Paterno was a member of the Nittany Lion’s staff for 61 years.

“I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Coach Joe Paterno,” OSU football coach Urban Meyer said in a statement. “He was a man who I have deep respect for as a human being, as a husband and father, as a leader and as a football coach. I was very fortunate to have been able to develop a personal relationship with him, especially over the course of the last several years, and it is something that I will always cherish.”

Editor’s note: Check back with The Lantern for more reaction from Meyer in an exclusive interview.