There's a new feeling in the air at Penn State. With a new head coach in Matt Campbell, the continued support of former interim head coach Terry Smith, and a wave of elite recruits walking around campus, something has undeniably changed, and it seems to have been for the better.
While Smith didn't receive an offer for the full-time job, he stuck around as the Penn State Nittany Lions associate head coach and cornerbacks coach.
A big reason he stayed was because of his new boss, PSU head coach Matt Campbell.
"The transition's been great. I know when coach Campbell was announced as head coach, and I had an opportunity to stay, I stayed obviously because I love Penn State, but I also stayed because I believe in Matt Campbell," Smith said recently.
What better endorsement could you hear for your head coach than one from the guy who could have had his job?
Terry Smith believes in everything Matt Campbell is doing
"I believe in his mission, I believe in his core values," Smith continued. "I think he is aligned the way we are as Penn State, as the history of Penn State, and it's been great."
Of course, Smith has been with the Nittany Lions for over a decade, so once he stuck around after James Franklin was fired, it became readily apparent he wasn't going to leave the program anytime soon.
However, to hear him praise the team's new head coach so vivaciously and unquestionably is exactly what Penn State needed.
Also read: Matt Campbell playing LB at Penn State practice will make fans love him even more
"It's been a breath of fresh air," Smith said. "We're doing some things the same, but we're doing a lot of things different... Change has been good for us. We're learning new ways and having new opportunities to create new challenges for ourselves."
Terry Smith believes in EVERYTHING HC Matt Campbell stands for, and he knew he had to return back to Happy Valley 🦁🤞 https://t.co/Q1200Blr5j pic.twitter.com/jz2uHtBrq4
— State Media (@StateMediaPSU) April 14, 2026
Smith first came to Happy Valley in 2014 as the cornerbacks coach, a position he was more familiar with than maybe anyone else on the planet, having played opposite them during his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Penn State in the late 80s and early 90s.
He quickly worked his way up to assistant head coach under Franklin before being named the Nittany Lions' associate head coach in 2021.
It came as no surprise that he temporarily took hold of the reins after Franklin was fired, and a lot of Penn State players were campaigning for him to get the full-time position.
While he wasn't named as the next head coach, the fact that he stuck around and believes in the program so wholeheartedly is as good a sign as any.
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