WASHINGTON (AFP) - Penn State's iconic American football coach Joe Paterno died Sunday of lung cancer, leaving a legacy sadly tarnished by a pedophilia scandal that rocked America.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today,” the Paterno family said in a statement.

“His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been.”

Mount Nittany Medical Center said the sports hero died of metastatic small cell carcinoma.

“Joe was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing, and they request privacy during this difficult time,” the hospital said in a statement.

Paterno, 85, guided the Nittany Lions to 409 victories -- more than any other top-level US collegiate coach in history.

The fame of Penn State's gridiron team burnished the university's reputation nationwide, but Paterno's storied career ended under a cloud.

He was sacked in November for failing to take tougher action against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky after being told about an incident in a locker room shower in which Sandusky allegedly molested a 10-year-old boy.

Sandusky, on the Penn State staff from 1969 through 1999, is facing trial after being accused of more than 50 counts of molesting 10 boys over an 11-year period.

Paterno reported the incident to his superior at the university, and later acknowledged that he regretted never following up further.