College football insiders recently revealed why the Penn State Nittany Lions' did not hire interim head coach Terry Smith.
After a dramatic search for the next head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions’ football program, fans have now received some insight into why interim head coach Terry Smith did not land the head coaching position.
According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Max Olson, and Eli Lederman, one of the main reasons Smith did not receive the head coach position was due to his lack of FBS head coaching experience.
“Smith quickly gained support from current and former players, especially as the team improved under his watch with three straight wins to end the regular season,” the group wrote. “He was a legitimate candidate, sources close to the search said, and went through the same process as others, but ultimately lacked the FBS head coaching experience Penn State desired.”
Long before being named the interim head coach for the Nittany Lions in 2025, Smith was a standout wide receiver for the program back in the 90s. After a brief coaching stint in high school and one season as the wide receivers coach for the Temple Owls, Smith would join his alma mater back in 2014 as the team’s cornerbacks coach.
In 2025, however, the beloved Penn State product received his first head coaching opportunity with the Nittany Lions following the firing of James Franklin. During his six games in the interim head coach position, Smith led the program to a 3-3 record, which was just enough to make the program bowl eligible.
Smith’s success as the new leader of the team would boost his credibility to remain as the head coach in 2026. His players showed their support for the 56-year-old coach during the regular season, with many Nittany Lions hoisting signs that read “Hire Terry Smith.”
Unfortunately for the beloved coach, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft would ultimately decide to hire former Iowa State Cyclones’ head coach, Matt Campbell.
Despite the move, Smith played a key role in signing 2026 four-star quarterback Payton Falzone during the early National Signing Day period, which was a significant signee considering the program managed to sign just one player outside Falzone in the 2026 class before Campbell’s arrival to State College.
Luckily for fans, Smith is now set to stay with the program in 2026 as an assistant to Campbell.