After a horrific conference play stint during the 2025 college football season, the Penn State Nittany Lions find themselves in a unique situation heading into the offseason.

Earlier in the year, the program ultimately decided to fire head coach James Franklin following the team’s loss to the Northwestern Wildcats in October. The move catapulted defensive backs coach Terry Smith into the interim head coach position, as the former Penn State star would try to reshape the program under his influence.

In his five games as the 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. Luckily for the Pennsylvania native, his impact on the struggling program has been felt as of late, with the Nittany Lions winning their last two contest against the Michigan State Spartans and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

This latest run from Penn State has made national headlines, as many players have shown their support for Smith being the next head coach. After defeating the Cornhuskers at home, players were seen holding signs that said “Hire Terry Smith”, along with fans chanting his name as he walked off the field.

With the recent outcry of support for Smith to become the next coach, athletic director Pat Kraft will have to make a tough decision following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.It’s clear that the 56-year-old coach wants the position, as he told reporters on Monday that “no one knows Penn State better than me.”

"No one knows Penn State better than me,” Smith stated. “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."

When looking at his case to be the next head coach, Smith played a key role in the recruiting trail, landing four-star safety Matt Sieg in the 2026 class. Unfortunately for the aspiring head coach, Franklin’s departure from the program destroyed Penn State’s upcoming recruiting class, making it tough for Kraft to make an in-house hire.

Looking at the schools that recently made in-house hires, the Michigan Wolverines are a prime example, with Sherrone Moore taking over for Jim Harbaugh. Moore has done an adequate job throughout his tenure, but with the second-year head coach on the hot seat, hiring from within will not give the Nittany Lions the extra juice needed to become a true powerhouse in college football.

In an ideal world, Kraft would hire a head coach who has proven to compete at the highest level. However, if the program does not deem any candidates more qualified than Smith, Kraft has the support of the entire Penn State fanbase.