Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith just did in seven games what James Franklin could never do
Penn State ended up hiring Matt Campbell over Terry Smith.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl champions. They just beat the Clemson Tigers, 22-10, in a game that really wasn’t pretty. However, a win is a win, no matter how pretty it is. That statement especially rings true when you know it’s the last game of the season.
Interim head coach Terry Smith won his final game with the program. He took a team that lost its first three games and ended up winning seven games. Sure, the season we just saw from the Nittany Lions was up to the standard everyone is used to, but all things considered, the job Smith did was incredible.
In fact, Smith did something that James Franklin never did. Franklin was fired on October 12, and Smith took over immediately. Now, Franklin is set to be the head coach at Virginia Tech, while Smith will be at Penn State on Matt Campbell’s 2026 staff. But, somehow, Smith has already won a game against a preseason top-five team before Franklin has.
Terry Smith deserves a shot as a head coach somewhere
James Franklin has an abysmal record against top-10 AP-ranked teams. Yet, he gets a second chance at a program like VT. Granted, Franklin is an amazing recruiter and does everything you want in an elite head coach, besides the most important thing: winning the big games.
Smith hasn’t done much in his young career as a head coach. However, his players had his back. They played for him, and he turned that team around from where they looked terrible to start the season.
Penn State has yet to release details on Smith’s role with the program in 2026. However, we do know that he loves being a Nittany Lion. After his win over Clemson, he let everyone know how much he loves Penn State.
Penn State Nittany Lions News
2 Penn State players decided not to celebrate with the rest of their team after the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson
Penn State beat Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl 22-10.
