The James Franklin era is officially over at Penn State. The No. 2-ranked team in the preseason rankings had all the hype going for it due to returning production. Franklin added key offensive pieces from the portal and brought Jim Knowles from Ohio State. First three games, three wins. But the Lions faltered against Oregon at home, and since then, Penn State has been in shambles. If losing to 0-4 UCLA wasn’t bad enough, they topped it by losing to Northwestern at home.

Terry Smith, the Lions’ 56-year-old CB coach and assistant head coach, has been named as the interim head coach following the departure of James Franklin. Smith, who played for Penn State, has been with the program for the last 11 years. Let’s introduce you to the Lions’ interim HC.

Who is Terry Smith?

James Franklin hired Terry Smith in 2014 as a defensive recruiting coordinator and CV coach. That was followed by a promotion to an assistant HC role between 2016-20 and an associate HC role in 2021.

Before he accepted a position on James Franklin’s staff, Terry Smith was known for his coaching gigs in the Pittsburgh area. He served as a high school coach in Western Pennsylvania. Before that, his journey in college football started as a player.

Terry Smith joined the Nittany Lions as a player in the late 1980s. He started as a wide receiver for the Penn State offense for three years. During his time, he recorded 1,825 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 108 receptions. But now, Smith is known more for his recruiting prowess and getting the most out of his cornerbacks than his college exploits.

Terry Smith’s recruiting success at Penn State

When James Franklin joined Penn State, he was looking to maximize the talent pool in Pennsylvania. He found the right person in Terry Smith, who quickly rose through the ranks in Franklin’s coaching staff. In the last 11 years, Smith has been a key reason for Penn State’s nine top-15 classes. 247Sports named him the No. 4 recruiter in the Big Ten in 2023.

More than anyone else, it was James Franklin who couldn’t help but sing praises of the new interim head coach of Penn State. “Terry is the model,” the former Penn State HC had said of his assistant coach. “Terry is the model in terms of recruiting and then in terms of development.”

These aren’t just empty words. The biggest reflection of development comes in the form of the number of players a program sends to the pros. Under Smith, the Nittany Lions had 12 DBs picked up by the NFL teams. Fourth-rounder John Reid and second-rounder Joey Porter Jr. were the highlights.

The respect ran both ways. Even Smith complimented his ex-boss. “He wants to be great at what he does,” he said of Franklin in 2024. “He’s obviously a tremendous leader; he’s a Pennsylvania guy who loves Penn State and wants to see greatness for our university. He’s got a vision together working with Pat Kraft and our president.”

Now, Smith gets a chance to fill in Franklin’s shoes. Albeit in an interim role. The road isn’t going to be any easier for Penn State. They travel to Iowa, and they’d be without Drew Allar.