As the Penn State Nittany Lions begin their search for the program’s next head coach, interim head coach Terry Smith continues to make a hard push to fill the vacancy in 2026.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Smith told reporters that “no one knows Penn State better than me” in regard to his push to become the next head coach.

"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."

Following the Nittany Lions’ victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday night, players and fans showed their overwhelming support for the 56-year-old coach. Multiple players were seen holding signs that said “Hire Terry Smith”, while fans cheered his name as he walked off the field.

During his five games as a head coach, Smith holds a 2-3 record, with two of the three losses coming at the hands of the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. Despite dropping both contests, the Nittany Lions managed to rip off two wins against the Cornhuskers and the Michigan State Wolverines.

Penn State Roundtable Podcast, Ep. 3: James Franklin Takes Virginia Tech Job Charlie Baduini and I of Roundtable Penn State met for our third podcast episode of the year, perhaps the biggest one of the year, after James Franklin decided to take the Virginia Tech job.

However, Smith has clearly put his quest for the position on hold, as he added that his focus is on beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Week 14.

“That will take care of itself when the time comes,” Smith stated. “My focus right now is obviously, we have to beat Rutgers. We approach these last few couple weeks as do-or-die, playoff-type games, and this is another playoff game in our own reality of our world.”

The Nittany Lions’ recent two-game win streak has put the program back in the running for a potential bowl game this year, with Saturday’s contest against the fellow Big Ten Conference members the deciding factor.

Both teams currently possess a 5-6 record, which means the winner will be awarded a bowl game after the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.