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When the Penn State football program made the surprise move to part ways with head coach James Franklin in the middle of the 2025 season, his interim replacement was obvious.
Little did we know that the replacement, associate head coach and Penn State letterman Terry Smith, wasn’t the biggest fan of his former boss.
Smith led the Nittany Lions to a 3-3 record over the final six games of the season and then a win in the Pinstripe Bowl over Dabo Swinney and Clemson, which pushed the Nittany Lions to 7-6 on the season.
Afterward, he interviewed for the head coaching position but was passed over in favor of former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.
Still, Smith agreed to stay on board in an associate head coach role, and now he says that he feels far more appreciated than he did previously.
Terry Smith Says That James Franklin Undermined His Authority At Penn State
Smith recently sat down with Lyle Alenstein of The Daily Collegian, Penn State’s student paper, to discuss life under Campbell and his love for the university.
He used the opportunity to clarify his new role under Campbell, and also throw some not-so-subtle shade at Franklin.
“My associate role is different and bigger than under James,” Smith said. “Coach Campbell has conversations with me about how he wants to do certain things, and I’ll share my insight to certain things. Ultimately, he has to make that final decision. James would ask me certain things, but it’s different under Matt. Everyone in the building knows that I’m the associate head coach. Under James, that wasn’t clear.”
Smith played an integral role in keeping Penn State’s roster together after Franklin’s departure. He’s also noted for being one of the country’s best recruiters.
So Campbell clearly understands the value he brings to the Nittany Lions’ program. And it appears he’s making sure that Smith knows that as well.