At 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Paterno’s son Jay, a former Penn State quarterbacks coach, wrote on Twitter: “I appreciate the support and prayers. Joe is continuing to fight.”

The 85-year-old Paterno won 409 games, the most by a major-college football coach. He was fired Nov. 9 in the wake of a child sexual abuse scandal at the university. Paterno has been hospitalized this week because of complications from chemotherapy, and he is also recovering from a broken pelvis.

“Over the last few days, Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications,” his lawyer, Wick Sollers, said in a statement. “His doctors have now characterized his status as serious. His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

On Saturday night, the online Penn State student news service Onward State erroneously reported that Paterno had died, a report that was subsequently picked up by CBSSports.com.

“Our sources can now confirm,” Onward State wrote on Twitter, “Joseph Vincent Paterno has passed away tonight at 8:45 p.m.”

The report was refuted by Paterno’s family. Later in the night, Onward State’s managing editor resigned.

“In this day and age, getting it first often conflicts with getting it right, but our intention was never to fall into that chasm,” the managing editor, Devon Edwards, said in a statement, adding: “I am so very, very, sorry, and we at Onward State continue to pray for Coach Paterno.”

Paterno, who had been the head coach since 1966, was fired by Penn State’s board of trustees in part for his failure to report to the police what he knew about a suspected sexual assault in 2002 by the former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky has been charged with more than 50 counts of sexually abusing boys. Paterno was not charged in connection with the case and has said that he was unsure how to handle the matter.

The news about Paterno’s worsened condition led to an outpouring of statements on social media sites, including from former Nittany Lions players. Reports said that students and fans gathered around a statue of Paterno on the Penn State campus.

Paterno came to Penn State in 1950 as an assistant and never left, helping to build the university and also shepherding the football program into national prominence.

Richard Sandomir contributed reporting.