Terry Smith opened up about his new role with Penn State after serving as interim head coach last season.
The Penn State Nittany Lions went through a lengthy search for a new head coach following their decision to move on from former lead man James Franklin.
After Franklin was fired during the middle of the season, Terry Smith took over as the team's interim coach. He was a legitimate candidate during the coaching search, but ultimately the program decided to bring in former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.
Smith, who has become a fan and player favorite during his time at Penn State, could have left the program after not landing the head coaching job. However, he opted to stick around and join Campbell's staff.
With that being said, Smith has now spoken out about his new role, even though he isn't a head coach anymore.
“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.”
Deon Broomfield, the Nittany Lions' new safeties coach, opened up about Smith and revealed just how important he is to the football team.
“He knows everything of how this place works,” Broomfield said. “When you talk about it from a recruiting standpoint, every coach that you run into on the road, they're like, ‘Terry's our guy.’ To have somebody who's been a prominent figure within the program, and for him to choose to stay around, it's been pivotal to us getting off to a fast start.”
Smith also made a joke about not being a head coach anymore. He clearly did want the job, but he's focused on the task at hand.
“I’m going through mourning," he said. “I’m just kidding. Just going back to life as normal. I'm a quiet, reserved person. I like to mind my own business.”
Even though Smith didn't receive the head coaching position, he's going to be an integral part of taking Penn State back to being a championship contender. Keeping him in town was crucial for the team and that goal was accomplished.