Terry Smith took over as interim head coach at Penn State and stabilized the situation after James Franklin’s firing. At the time, the Lions winning a game seemed far-fetched after consecutive losses. But Smith managed to ensure bowl eligibility. Following the appointment of Matt Campbell as the new head coach, reports emerged that Smith would remain with the program. Now, we have a confirmation.

Smith will go back to being assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach, the school has confirmed. He will work under the new defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn. Smith was touted to find a place anyway in Campbell’s staff for the way he led the PSU in the wake of chaos. He handed the reins over to Campbell with a 7-6 record, topped with a Pinstripe Bowl win.

Penn State has sorted out its secondary situation on Matt Campbell’s first Nittany Lions staff. Terry Smith will be the associate head coach and cornerbacks coach, while Deon Broomfield will be the safeties coach and pass game coordinator.

Smith struggled initially after being named interim HC, but was able to shape the Nittany Lions as a competitor after the losing streak. He went on to win all subsequent games. The morale hit a dangerous low after James Franklin’s firing, but Smith urged the players to come through. Fans wanted to see Smith given a role on the new staff as a ‘thank-you’ for his leadership. Matt Campbell was adamant about keeping the coach on his staff from the outset.

“I would just say it was critically important for me to keep Terry in my opinion,” Campbell said in his inaugural speech. “Terry and I have got a great partnership from his days at Gateway. I know what he’s about and what he stands for.”

“As soon as we got into discussions about this job, one of the first questions that I asked is, ‘Boy, I would really like to keep Terry. What do you think?’ And it was a resounding yes. So the fact that Terry wants to stay and wants to be a part of this, I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Campbell will have the opportunity to learn from Terry Smith as he tries to make this new locker room his own. The latter will now be a part of a staff that has many new faces.

Matt Campbell’s new Penn State staff is nearly complete

Terry Smith was one of the last remaining pieces of Matt Campbell’s new Penn State unit. While he gets to go back to his old designation, Deon Broomsfield will be moved to safeties and will also be in charge of the pass game strategy. He previously held the same role under Matt Campbell when he was at Iowa State.

The Nittany Lions staff is now comprised of a lot of names from Iowa State. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, O-line coach Ryan Clanton, WR coach Noah Pauley, and QB coach Jake Waters are all former Cyclones coaches. Other personnel, such as Reid Kagy (strength coach) and Derek Hoodger (general manager), have also followed Matt Campbell from Iowa City. The other coaches expected to join are UCLA’s Ikaika Malloe and Cincinnati’s Tyson Veidt, who will run the defensive line and linebackers rooms, respectively. The only unfilled position currently is running back.

Matt Campbell has practically cleaned Penn State from the inside out, but he chose to keep Terry Smith because of the importance he holds for the team. He will now work with a lot of new names, who make up the new face of the Nittany Lions football program.

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