Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
2 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State interim head coach Terry Smith led the Nittany Li- ons through the final six games of the season after James Frank- lin was fired in October. Whoever came on board as Franklin's successor knew he would face a decision about whether to retain one of the team's most popular figures. Shortly after Matt Campbell was hired, the news broke that Smith would remain on staff in Happy Valley. The role for Smith, who was Penn State's associ- ate head coach and cornerbacks coach, will be defined in the weeks to come. Smith has gone 3-3 as interim head coach, including three consecutive wins to finish the regular season. Current Penn State players and program donors backed Smith's candidacy for the full- time job, and he will continue to coach the team through its Pinstripe Bowl ap- pearance against Clemson on Dec. 27. Campbell said he was thrilled that Smith chose to remain at his alma mater. "The fact that Terry wants to stay and be a part of this, I couldn't be more grateful, I really mean it, to work hand in hand with him," Campbell said. "Know- ing what it means to play here, knowing what it means to coach here, and know- ing what it means to lead here, that's huge for me." The rest of Campbell's staff was be- ginning to take shape in the days fol- lowing his arrival in State College. Iowa State general manager Derek Hoodjer, director of player personnel Trent Slat- tenow and director of performance op- erations Aaron Hillmann all arrived in town shortly after Campbell on Dec. 7. Hoodjer predated Campbell at Iowa State and has been the Cyclones' assis- tant athletics director for football player personnel for the past three seasons. He's a Nebraska native and Iowa State alum who started coaching at the Big 12 school as a student assistant in 2011. Hoodjer would later move into a gradu- ate assistant role in 2014 before becom- ing the program's assistant director of PENN STATE'S NEW STAFF STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Matt Campbell was eager to retain interim head coach Terry Smith, a former Nittany Lion letterman and 12-year staff veteran. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS