After two offensive linemen lifted Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith onto their shoulders to celebrate his first victory Saturday night, both of Smith’s cell phones were flooded by hundreds of messages from well-wishers.
When he was asked Monday who was the most surprising person he heard from, Smith broke down several times during a heartfelt response that lasted nearly three minutes.
“Basically every person I’ve known in my entire life reached out to me,” he said. “People are super proud of me. It’s very humbling for me. … I apologize. It’s just humbling to sit in this seat. … There’s so many people in my life that speak life to me. And they all reached out.
“I’m just so blessed. God has been so good to me through everything in my life. I have the opportunity to be the head coach at Penn State. … I don’t think anything has made me or my family happier than this opportunity.”
The 56-year-old Smith was promoted from associate head coach on Oct. 12, when director of athletics Pat Kraft fired James Franklin the day after the Nittany Lions’ 22-21 loss to Northwestern, their third in a row.
Penn State then proceeded to lose to Iowa 25-24, No. 1 Ohio State 38-14 and No. 2 Indiana 27-24 before ending a six-game losing streak with a decisive 28-10 win at Michigan State.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, players doused Smith with Gatorade and then gave him a victory ride.
“Saturday was. … I can’t even tell you how I felt,” he said. “I’ve never been lifted off the field in my career. It was just a great moment. I’m sorry. I apologize.”
On the day after he dismissed Franklin and named Smith to be the interim coach, Kraft said Smith would receive consideration to become the permanent coach.
“I haven’t had any talks in regards to the head coaching position,” Smith said Monday. “The way I see it, my interview is every day that I’m operating in this seat.
“In regards to the support from the community, it’s been amazing. Every avenue from alumni, lettermen, family, friends, community, the support has been amazing.”
Smith has not been mentioned as a candidate in reports by credible sources. Now that New Jersey native Mike Elko has agreed to a lucrative contract extension at Texas A&M, Kraft might pursue Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key or others.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, a Penn State grad, was thought to be near the top of Kraft’s list when Franklin was fired because they’ve remained friends after working together at Temple. But within a week, he signed a contract extension.
Rhule and the Cornhuskers (4-3 Big Ten, 7-3) will visit the Lions (1-6, 4-6) on Saturday night at 7 (TV-NBC) at Beaver Stadium.
Rhule gave Smith his first college coaching job in 2013 when he hired him to coach Temple’s wide receivers. Smith spent one season with the Owls before joining Franklin’s first staff at Penn State.
“It was a tremendous opportunity for me to grow from high school to college,” Smith said. “I’m thankful for that. I appreciate Matt for taking a chance on me. I’m thankful for our relationship.”
Smith was a standout wide receiver for the Lions from 1988-91, finishing his career with 108 receptions and 15 receiving touchdowns. He and those who know him best have spoken of his loyalty and love for Penn State.
Harvey Smith Sr., Terry’s father, became the first person from his family to graduate from college in 1968 when he earned a Penn State degree in accounting.
“I’m from a small town called Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and it’s not a very nice place,” Smith said. “My dad, through his education at Penn State, moved us to the other side of Pittsburgh, to Monroeville. He gave us a better life because of his education here.
“It taught our entire family about possibilities in life. You can be whatever you want to be. This place has done so much for me and my family. This place is special. It’s amazing. I just want to give back to it. I want to make sure I’m holding up my end of the bargain in putting out a team that everyone can be proud of.”
