Firing a head coach is never easy, especially after a decade. Yet Penn State and James Franklin parted ways smoothly, with Franklin waiving $40 million of his $49 million buyout to take the Virginia Tech job. Interim coach Terry Smith quickly stepped in, sending his support and reassurance to the program.

Terry Smith began the season coaching Penn State football alongside James Franklin in their quest to win a national championship. Nobody expected James Franklin and the Nittany Lions to unravel the way they did. Fast forward to Thanksgiving week, Penn State decided to pull the buyout trigger on the head coach after going 3–3. Franklin’s departure changed the landscape. Terry stepped in as interim head coach while Franklin was officially hired at Virginia Tech. As Smith transitioned into his new role, he shared his thoughts on what the move means for both Franklin and the program.

Franklin’s hiring was announced on November 17, and he held his introductory press conference in Blacksburg, Virginia, on November 19. Smith said he is happy for Franklin and his family.

He explained, “I’m really happy for him. In this industry of coaching, we all go through highs and lows. At some point, if you’re coaching, you’re going to get fired at some point. I’m just happy for him and his family to bounce back so soon.”

Although Smith didn’t have a chance to watch the introductory press conference, he said he talks to Franklin “every other day.” Terry Smith and James Franklin were basically work buddies at Penn State for almost 12 years. Their time together started back in 2014 when James brought Terry on board to help coach the cornerbacks and scout new players. Terry became James’ go-to guy, eventually working his way up to associate head coach.

Smith later shifted the focus back to Penn State football and offered reassurance about where the team stands. Penn State earned its first win under his leadership over the weekend in a 28–10 victory against Michigan State. The Pennsylvania native believes the team is starting to click. He felt they played much better than in the previous three weeks and said the players are “super close” to hitting their stride. To illustrate the process, Smith used a pencil-sharpener analogy.

“The pencil sharpener is the storm that we’re in… when you put the pencil in and you start to turn it, well, we’re giving of ourselves as we start to take away some of the wood chips of the pencil. And if you pull the chip out too soon, it’s not ready to write. That was us on Saturday. We pulled it just a little bit too soon, and so we had to go back in. And so this week is… we’re gonna show a finished product of the pencil sharp and ready to write,” he said.

In simple terms, Smith believes the team is finally ready to show its full potential on the field. He feels this group is close to becoming the “finished pencil” that can finally write the next chapter of Penn State football.

Terry Smith on his staff departure

Since James Franklin left Penn State, the program has already seen seven staff members move on, including chief of staff and general manager of personnel and recruitment Andy Frank. These departures have created some gaps in the coaching and administrative team, but the program is ready to handle them.

Interim head coach Terry Smith addressed the staff changes, emphasizing that the team is prepared to adjust. He explained that everyone has to step up and cover the responsibilities left behind, just like players fill in during injuries on the field.

Smith said, “We just got to restructure, make sure that those job responsibilities are being taken care of. We have a great staff here. We have a lot of people that take great pride in picking up the slack where things are void. This is no different than injuries on the field. It’s the next person up. The job has to be done. So we’ll adjust. We’ll keep it moving. Our feet are on the ground, and we’re prepared to go beat Nebraska.” He made it clear that the focus is on moving forward and keeping the team strong for the rest of the season.