Momentum has been building in Happy Valley for Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft to hire interim head coach Terry Smith to be James Franklin’s permanent replacement. Well, that momentum has carried over to Piscataway, New Jersey, on Saturday, where the Nittany Lions are set to close out the regular season against Rutgers.
Smith began his interim tenure with three straight losses, two with blown fourth-quarter leads. However, players and now the fanbase have bought into Smith after back-to-back wins over Michigan State and Nebraska. Somebody is such a fan of Smith’s that they paid to have a plane fly around Piscataway today with a banner that says “Pat Kraft - Hire Terry Smith.”
there is a plane flying around SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., pulling a banner that reads, “Pat Kraft - hire Terry Smith” before Penn State plays Rutgers here later this afternoon pic.twitter.com/uYayxA8UmS
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) November 29, 2025
Penn State running out of options to replace James Franklin
Terry Smith doesn’t have a great case to take over the Penn State program in a full-time capacity. Like Franklin, he struggled in his opportunities against top-five opponents, losing to No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana in consecutive weeks.
Players and coaches have reportedly told media members, including former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, that they’ll stay in Happy Valley if Smith is installed. Despite the program’s 2026 recruiting class continuing to erode as James Franklin plucks commits away to Virginia Tech, Smith staying is becoming more realistic as the weeks pass.
This week, heading into the final game of the regular season, two of Penn State’s most proven potential candidates for the job signed lucrative extensions to stay put with their current programs: Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri and Clark Lea at Vanderbilt.
Drinkwitz and Lea joined a growing list of Power 4 head coaches who secured a raise with Penn State, LSU, Florida, Auburn, and others all looking for a new head coach this offseason. That list began with Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, a Pittsburgh native and Penn State’s ideal Franklin replacement. Then, Penn State alum and Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and Penn alum and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko followed.
Smith does not have head coaching experience, but with the fanbase pushing for him to take over and players voicing their support, he seems to be a real candidate who will have a chance to interview with Kraft.