Penn State’s Terry Smith staying with program despite hiring of Matt Campbell
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Terry Smith will remain with Penn State in a non-head-coach role, AD says.
- Smith’s choice to stay stabilizes recruiting and reduces likely transfer departures.
- Iowa State’s Matt Campbell will assume Penn State head coach duties, timing pending.
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Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith, who’s played a pivotal role in keeping the team together, will remain with the program in a role other than head coach, the athletic department confirmed Friday night.
Smith’s new position is not yet known. But Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell is set to take over the head job.
Athletic director Pat Kraft confirmed Smith’s plans in a public message posted to his department’s website. ”I’m deeply grateful for his commitment to our University, and I am excited that he will continue to be a part of this program,” Kraft wrote.
Smith’s decision to stay is regarded as a huge positive for the program. As a PSU alum and a longtime high school coach in western Pennsylvania, he’s respected by players and recruits alike. Many current players advocated for him as the full-time head coach, a position he acknowledged he wanted.
But the cornerbacks coach admittedly has a soft spot for his alma mater. And, in the week leading up to the Nov. 29 game against Rutgers, Smith publicly acknowledged he’d be open to staying in a capacity other than head coach.
“Yeah, I’ll reiterate I love Penn State,” Smith said during a Nov. 24 press conference. “I would be open to any possibilities of staying here.”
If Smith would’ve chosen to join James Franklin at Virginia Tech, Penn State’s recruiting struggles could’ve extended well beyond the 2026 recruiting class, which managed just two signees without a head coach. It still won’t be easy against a charismatic recruiter like Franklin, but Smith’s departure could’ve made recruiting the region significantly tougher.
On top of that, Smith’s decision to stay will almost certainly keep a few more Penn State players from hitting the transfer portal.
The Penn State alum, who played from 1987-1991, took over as the interim head coach after Franklin was fired Oct. 12. Franklin was terminated after more than 11 seasons, when his blue-and-white team with national title aspirations lost its third straight game to drop to 3-3.
With quarterback Drew Allar suffering a season-ending injury in Franklin’s final game, Smith dropped the next three games to Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana. But he finished the season with three straight wins for Penn State to finish 6-6 and become bowl-eligible.
The Nittany Lions will discover which bowl they’ll play in on Sunday afternoon. Among the possibilities are the GameAbove Sports Bowl, Rate Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl.
CDT reporter Jon Sauber contributed to this report
