After a catastrophic 6-6 season for the Penn State Nittany Lions, fans were hopeful that athletic director Pat Kraft would be able to find a replacement for former head coach James Franklin shortly after the 2025 regular season.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case.

Moving off Franklin in the middle of the season gave Kraft and the rest of Penn State’s athletic department a head start for the coaching search. However, it’s clear that Kraft did not take advantage of this opportunity, as most of the Power Four programs that were looking for a head coach had already filled the position on Sunday.

Now, the Nittany Lions find themselves in a horrific spot with National Signing Day just around the corner. Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class has seven commits heading into the month of December, making it the No. 121-ranked program in the upcoming cycle, according to 247Sports’ Composite.

With no news of a potential hiring, all signs are pointing in the direction of interim head coach Terry Smith receiving a promotion to become the permanent head coach for the foreseeable future.

Smith, a former Penn State standout receiver in the 90s, has done a terrific job of leading the team to a bowl game in 2025. After losing his first three games in his new role, Smith managed to win three straight games to end the regular season, with victories against the Michigan State Spartans, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

During the program’s recent win streak, players have been vocal about their desires for Smith to become the next head coach. Following the team’s Week 13 win against the Cornhuskers, players were spotted holding signs that read “Hire Terry Smith,” while fans chanted his name as he left the field.

In addition to the players being bought into the defensive backs coach, Smith also told reporters last week that “No one knows Penn State better” than him.

"No one knows Penn State better than me,” Smith claimed. “Of all the candidates that are out there, I know the history of Penn State. I know the culture, the DNA. I know the locker room. I know the administration. I think I'm a good leader. I think I'm a leader of men."

One name that has recently surfaced in rumors is BYU’s Kalani Sitake, who is currently set to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game. Sitake has proven to be a coach who can turn a program around, but is he truly the right fit for Penn State?

Fans will receive more clarity on the Sitake following his game on Saturday. In the meantime, however, Smith still looks to be the leader in the clubhouse, unless Kraft has a trick up his sleeve.