Terry Smith started his time as Penn State’s interim head coach started by having to fix a disaster.
The Nittany Lions were 3-3, James Franklin had been fired and hopes of a national championship were long out the window. Then he lost three more difficult Big Ten games.
But finally, Smith left the sideline of Michigan State’s Spartan Stadium drenched in Gatorade. His players mobbed him for his first win at the helm, one that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Smith spearheaded badly needed culture and scheme changes in Happy Valley. It led to two more regular-season wins, chants of his name inside Beaver Stadium and a season finale in a hard-earned Pinstripe Bowl appearance against Clemson.
Now, the Terry Smith chapter at Penn State is over, ending with more chants of his name inside Yankee Stadium and a bath of grass clippings (in honor of the Pinstripe Bowl’s sponsor, BadBoy Mowers).
The Nittany Lions topped Clemson, 22-10, thanks to a strong second half in New York on Saturday. They finished 4-3, with a four-game winning streak, under Smith to end the season.
And Smith got choked up again on the Yankee Stadium field when discussing the emotions surrounding this whirlwind situation.
“This is the greatest moment of my life,” Smith said in ESPN’s postgame interview. “It’s just a great moment for me and my family… I’m just so happy for our guys.”
“I love Penn State, I love football and the game and Penn State have done amazing things for me and my family,” he continued with his voice cracking. “I’m just thankful and grateful.”
Smith had a similarly emotional reaction to his first Penn State win back in November, days after he earned it East Lansing, Michigan. The former Nittany Lions captain explained how his family has attended the university for multiple generations and how it has changed his life for the better.
In Saturday’s postgame press conference, he added that his two months as interim head coach gave him a new appreciation for the magnitude of the job.
“I thought it was a big job when I was an assistant. Then I got in this seat, and I realized this is an even bigger job,” Smith told reporters in the postgame press conference. “There are just decisions everywhere. It’s, can our guys wear black visors? Just any decision. The food. What are we going to eat tonight? What’s the meal on the bus tonight? Things like that that nobody cares about, but they’re a question that has to be answered, because we have 11 buses going back, and we have to take care of everyone. It’s just a big job.”
After campaigning for the job and being considered a genuine candidate to be the full-time head coach, Smith will officially remain on Matt Campbell’s staff with a new, well-compensated deal as an assistant.
That’s certainly a sign of how appreciated his time was as the Lions’ leader.
“It’s very rewarding that I know and understand that I can handle this seat, and it was a great ride. I’m ready for the next chapter,” Smith said. “I’m ready to pass the torch on to Coach Campbell. He’s an amazing individual and leader, and Penn State’s in great hands, and I’m ready to help him achieve greatness.”
Smith and Penn State went through plenty this year. Expectations were not met. But Smith helped reinforce them for the future.
And it all ended in a feel-good moment for the longtime Nittany Lion, whose fingerprints will continue to be all over the program he loves.
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