STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner announced his plans to retire Tuesday afternoon, a move that should be looked upon as a positive by Nittany Lions fans.

We’ll skip over the past and focus on the future. But let’s just say that Joyner’s approval rating in Happy Valley was so low that, at times, it probably could have struck oil.

But forget all that. James Franklin knew when he took the coaching job that Joyner wouldn’t be around forever; now, stability is right around the corner. Penn State needed someone to pick it up by the bootstraps in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Joyner was there, but now the school needs someone to steer the athletic program -- especially football -- to a place Joyner couldn’t take it.

Joyner meant well but had no prior athletic director experience. He’s the lowest-paid AD in the conference, with a salary of $396,000, and oversaw an athletic program that raked in more than $104 million last year. Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Joyner reportedly promised previous coach Bill O’Brien a raise for his assistant coaches -- and then couldn’t deliver. Joyner simply hadn’t been in that position before. A new athletic director with experience would help with salaries and also with budgets and facility improvements.

As for former Sen. George Mitchell’s annual report, which is due in September, this move is only going to help. Penn State was told to search nationally for candidates to fill positions such as athletic director, and that’s exactly what it’s doing. PSU can check one more box off those 119 Freeh report recommendations. A further reduction of sanctions isn’t out of the question.

Yes, Joyner did make some great hires during his time at Penn State. But no matter what your opinion on his legacy, it’s time for Penn State to move on. It’ll only be better for it.