Interim head coach Terry Smith is getting 4-6 Penn State ready to host 7-3 Nebraska on Saturday.
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Smith helped the Nittany Lions defeat Michigan State 28-10 in Week 12, the program’s first win since starting the season 3-0 on Sept. 27. Head coach James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12 amid a three-game losing streak.
Franklin has a new job with Virginia Tech, and there’s a worry the former PSU head coach could poach players from Happy Valley and high school recruits.
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With a national coaching search going nowhere fast, Penn State players have recently advocated for Smith to become the full-time coach.
Following Wednesday’s practice, Smith sent a warning to PSU, suggesting that the delay in naming Franklin’s replacement could hurt recruiting for 2026.
“The immediate threat is taking Penn State players,” Smith said. “With the uncertainty of the next head coach, the most important thing we can do is protect the locker room. When it comes to recruits, high school recruits, (Franklin) has an advantage right now because we don’t have a permanent head coach.”
Smith was asked if there was a chance he’d rejoin Franklin as a member of his staff at VT. Smith left open the possibility.
“Anything’s a possibility,” Smith said. “Nothing matters about those possibilities except us playing this weekend. I love the game of football. I will be coaching the game of football on Saturday–and God willing next Saturday. Ant then after that, we’ll let business take care of business. All that matters is that we have to beat Nebraska on Saturday.”
If PSU players in the locker room are loyal to Smith, there’s another possibility that those athletes could transfer to join him at his next job.
Penn State has some big decisions to make in the next few weeks, and the pressure is only building now that Franklin took a job 366 miles away from Happy Valley.
Following Saturday’s game against Nebraska, PSU will finish the regular season on the road against Rutgers. The Nittany Lions must win both games to earn bowl eligibility.
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