As the Beaver Stadium crowd began chanting for Penn State interim HC Terry Smith Saturday night, one can only imagine what was running through the mind of athletic director Pat Kraft.
Kraft is acutely aware that his football program is losing recruits amid the uncertainty of who will lead Penn State moving forward. Externally, he sees former head coach James Franklin quickly landing at Virginia Tech and using that position to its fullest advantage. No one can blame Franklin for maximizing his leverage. Virginia Tech is a tough program to sell in the NIL era, but the ripple effects of his departure continue to hit Penn State hard.
Kraft now faces a different but equally emotional decision: is Smith simply the sentimental favorite, or has he genuinely earned consideration for the permanent job?
On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss the candidacy of an interim coach whose two wins came against the Big Ten’s worst team in Michigan State and a bowl-eligible but injury-depleted Nebraska squad missing its starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola. And yet that viewpoint ignores the context of the situation Smith inherited.
It also overlooks the grit Penn State has displayed under him.
Smith’s first three games, at Iowa with true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer making his first career start, followed by matchups with top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, were baptism by fire. Despite the circumstances, Penn State competed, fought and developed an edge it previously lacked. Grunkemeyer, initially a deer in headlights, has gone from liability to legitimate weapon.
Against Nebraska, he became the first Penn State quarterback to complete 90 percent of his passes on 10+ attempts since Todd Blackledge went 10-for-11 at Syracuse in 1981.
Since Michigan State running back Elijah Tau-Toliver’s 57-yard touchdown run on the Spartans’ first offensive play, Penn State has dominated opponents 65–3 over nearly two full games.
Minus two explosive plays, Tau-Toliver’s run and Nebraska’s Emmitt Johnson breaking loose for 52 yards, the defense has suffocated opponents, allowing just 51.5 rushing yards per game while the offense has churned out 231 rushing yards per contest.
Results alone don’t guarantee a promotion, but Smith has earned the right to be seriously considered. That’s why, as reported, Kraft will formally interview him this week.
During Saturday night’s postgame press conference, Smith was asked directly if he believes his time as interim head coach makes him ready to lead Penn State permanently.
“I was always ready to be a head coach. I was a head coach for 12 years in high school. It’s a different level, but leading men is leading men,” Smith said. “Coaching is coaching. I came here for James Franklin; I went to DB coach. I took a DB history here at Penn State where we didn’t put DBs in the NFL to now being one of the top in the country. I’ve always been a head coach. I’m confident in what I do. God has blessed me… I’m a leader of men. You guys see it. You’re witnessing it every day.”
Kraft is witnessing more than confidence: he is watching a candidate organically build a case through performance, leadership, and authenticity.
Although skeptics may pick apart Smith’s résumé, he has earned this opportunity through decades of work. He began in the college ranks as Greg Gattuso’s passing-game coordinator at Duquesne, helping the Dukes to conference titles in 1999 and 2000. That experience led him back to his alma mater, Gateway High School, where he became one of the WPIAL’s most respected coaches. Over more than a decade, Smith compiled a 101–30 record and guided Gateway to four WPIAL championship games.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.His reputation for developing talent caught the attention of Matt Rhule, who hired him as a receivers coach. When Franklin arrived at Penn State in 2014, he brought Smith aboard to coach defensive backs. Smith transformed the position into one of the program’s strongest units and was promoted to associate head coach in 2016, a role he has held ever since.
Smith’s candidacy may lack the national flash of other names, but major programs promoting from within is hardly unprecedented. Notre Dame elevated Marcus Freeman. Clemson elevated Dabo Swinney. Georgia Tech elevated Brent Key—himself a candidate on Penn State’s radar.
Retaining Smith would also stabilize the locker room and staff during a turbulent era marked by transfer-portal chaos and NIL-driven roster churn. That benefit isn’t theoretical; it’s already being voiced.
Former Penn State quarterback and letterman Michael Robinson publicly threw his support behind Smith this weekend.
“When I talk to the staff, if Terry Smith gets this job, guys want to stay. People want to be here. The players are fighting for him,” Robinson said. “Every player I talked to who was thinking about leaving said, ‘I’m staying if Terry Smith gets this job.’ Every alumni I’ve talked to believes he should be head coach. And I personally think Terry Smith should be the head coach. I’m tired of coaches using the Penn State program to get money. Terry deserves this. He has roots here, and the players are showing it.”
Support is one thing; results are another. Smith now has both.
Kraft’s decision will not be easy, but in many ways Smith is making it easier. Saturday night, when Smith walked into his postgame press conference with a room filled with recruits and families, the room erupted in cheers, both when he entered and when he left. For many reporters present, it was a first.
Ultimately, Kraft’s responsibility is to find the best candidate to represent Penn State and elevate the program to the ambitions he’s outlined. That candidate must command respect, connect with players, recruit the right athletes, and navigate the evolving modern landscape.
Smith’s grounded approach may be exactly what the moment requires.
“The thing that motivates me is keeping my feet on the ground,” Smith said. “I’m going to get this team ready to go beat Rutgers next week. My résumé is on display every day. You guys see it every Saturday—tell me what you think.”
Kraft has undoubtedly seen enough to be impressed. The question now is whether he has seen enough to remove the interim label.
