Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
2 6 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I t wasn't much of a question as to who would lead Penn State for the rest of the season when athletics director Pat- rick Kraft moved on from James Franklin. Ask anyone in the Lasch Building, and Terry Smith was the obvious answer. Now serving as interim head coach at his alma mater, Smith attacked his second day on the job with an encouraging press conference performance Oct. 13 that covered everything from on-field adjust- ments to program-wide trends that need to be addressed. He started strong after Kraft warmed up the room during Franklin's weekly noon time slot. "I call this place home, I love this place," Smith said in his opening statement. "I love the blue and the white. I'm proud to be sitting in front of you. For our program, we need to stick together, stay focused, keep the standard the standard. Nothing changes when it comes to the expecta- tion, as Pat alluded to earlier. We need to get back to enjoying ball, being tough, gritty and passionate." What substance came next? Well, it was a window into the many things that Smith will have to deal with as the Nittany Lions finish out the 2025 season. Here's an idea of what to expect. 1. Smith will be an extension of Franklin's style Smith had his own path before joining Franklin's original Penn State staff upon his arrival nearly 12 years ago. He had just spent his first year as a full-time college assistant at Temple in 2013 after a long tenure as head coach and athletics direc- tor at Gateway High in Monroeville, Pa. He quickly earned trust as an outsider and worked his way into Franklin's inner circle, outlasting every other member of that initial staff in Happy Valley. It made sense, right? Smith was the only Penn State letterman (and true con- nection, really) among the on-field as- sistants. He was a bridge from his fellow lettermen to a program that changed a lot over the next decade-plus. Oh, and he was a very good cornerbacks coach and one of the top recruiters out there. Smith's loyalty cut in both directions as well. He played for Joe Paterno at Penn Smith is a Penn State letterman who ended up being James Franklin's longest-serving assistant coach. He's the only member of Franklin's original staff in 2014 who is still with the program. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Terry Smith Aims To Help PSU Regain Its Swagger S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M