Terry Smith is what Penn State is all about. As we’ve seen over the past few weeks now, it’s great that Smith stayed around. Not only is he someone the kids can come to and speak with about things that PSU is all about, but he also knows how to sell the program to recruits just as well as anyone out there.
Smith also had a very tough job to take over last year and did it with grace. He could’ve complained that he didn’t get the head coaching job but instead was happy that he had the opportunity to embrace his school.
“To take over at Penn State at that moment, it was a difficult situation, but I embraced it,” Smith said, per CBS. “The first couple weeks, it took me, I guess it was like riding a bike. It took me a couple of weeks or a couple spins of the bike to get settled back into being in charge of everything.
“You know, they were chanting my name in the stadium and it was like something out of a movie,” Smith said. “I'm almost speechless in it. It's so humbling to know so many people love you and care for you and genuinely want good things to happen for you.”
Smith built a relationship with this fanbase and as a result, it seemed like it played a factor in him returning in a new role under head coach Matt Campbell.
“It's just the experiences that we're getting here,” Smith added. “This is the right place and the right fit for me and my family.
“I learned that I could do it at this level,” Smith said. “I'm really proud of that and it's just been a great journey for myself.”
It’s nice to see Smith have a lot of good things to say about a place that clearly has meant a lot to him. As long as Smith continues to be at Penn State, I feel good about the direction of this program.
He’s built a lot of great relationships with recruits and will hopefully continue to do so as Penn State needs to win recruiting battles as it has in recent days.