At Penn State, Matt Campbell Says He's Building a Partnership With Terry Smith

The Nittany Lions' former interim head coach has more responsibility on Campbell's staff.

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith walks on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Upon getting the Penn State football job, Matt Campbell placed his first staff phone call. It was to Terry Smith, then the Nittany Lions' interim head coach, asking him to stay.

In their nearly seven months together since, Campbell and Smith have developed a coaching relationship that resembles more of a partnership. Campbell clearly tops the org chart, but Smith has more responsibility as Campbel''s associate head coach than he had before. And both appear to be thriving together in their new roles.

Campbell discussed retaining Smith and more in a recent interview with the Big Ten Network, which surfaced some interesting insights. It's notable that Campbell not only said he prioritized Smith's importance to his new staff but also how the head coach views their work now.

"My first phone call when I got the job here was to call Terry," Campbell said in the interview. "And being excited about this opportunity to lead with Terry, that's how I really looked at it."

"My first phone call when I got the job here was to call Terry."

Retaining Terry Smith was a top priority for @PennStateFball's new head coach Matt Campbell.#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/YjbXnc8F33

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 6, 2026

Smith led Penn State to a 4-3 record as interim head coach in 2025, winning his last four games, including the Pinstripe Bowl over Clemson. During those two months in charge, Smith made clear that he viewed himself as the best candidate for the permanent job.

When Campbell was hired, Smith had opportunities to move on himself. He said he stayed at Penn State for numerous reasons beyond his experience as an alumnus or his 12 years coaching in the program. Campbell had plenty to do with that.

"We all had different opportunities to go wherever, but there's no place like this," Smith said. ". … And now under coach Campbell, we want his leadership to propel us into the next generation and next phase of Penn State. And hopefully, that's a lot of wins."

Campbell has talked specifically about the impact Smith had on him before taking the Penn State job. While the head coach at Toledo, Campbell made frequent visits to western Pennsylvania to recruit players at Gateway High School, where Smith was the football coach and athletic director. And Smith took his players to camps at Toledo, where Campbell was welcoming.

"[We were] always trying to get a young man from his high school football program because of what Terry stood for," Campbell said in the Big Ten interview. "Knowing the integrity he held, knowing the class and character that he led his young men with, you always felt like, if you could get a young man from Terry's high school, you had a chance to be successful and that that young man was going to represent your program the right way."

On Campbell's staff, Smith retained his roles as cornerbacks coach and associate head coach, but with more responsibility than he had working with James Franklin. Smith became Penn State's associate head coach in 2021.

"My associate role is different and bigger than [it was] under James," Smith said. "Coach Campbell has conversations with me about how he wants to do different things, and I’ll share my insight to certain things, and ultimately he has to make the final decision."

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith accepts the George M. Steinbrenner Trophy with his team after winning the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Clemson Tigers at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Campbell maintained his distance from Penn State's Pinstripe Bowl preparation, focusing instead on completing his staff and 2026 recruiting class. But the win gave Penn State "great momentum" heading into the start of Campbell's tenure, something he wanted to build from.

"It was huge that he wanted to stay and huge that we were able to continue to lead together," Campbell said in the Big Ten Network interview. "I've been grateful for his mentorship, his guidance, and it's been a great partnership for sure."

Matt Campbell joined #B1GToday to talk his transition to @PennStateFball and preparing for the upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/I7HLC24uzo

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 6, 2026

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