For Penn State's Terry Smith, the Pinstripe Bowl Keeps on Giving

Following his last game as Penn State's interim head football coach, Terry Smith called the Pinstripe Bowl the "greatest moment my life." And that bowl victory keeps on giving.

The Pinstripe Bowl and Bad Boy Mowers, the game's presenting sponsor, recently gifted Smith with a custom ride to mow his lawn. Smith received a riding mower that features the Penn State logo and Smith's season-long motto, "Write The Script." In a video released on social media, Smith seemed to be getting the hang of his new toy.

Look what just arrived!

Want to give a big thanks to @PinstripeBowl and @BadBoyMowers for this awesome gift following our bowl win!

Appreciate the hospitality from the @Yankees and a special thank you to Tom Riley of https://t.co/hzPWePo1sc for the delivery and great service… pic.twitter.com/R4CdpMYRca
— Terry M. Smith (@CoachTerryPSU) June 23, 2026

Smith, who went 4-3 as Penn State's interim head coach, deserved the ride. He made bowl games fun again with his reaction to the Nittany Lions' 22-10 win over the Clemson Tigers in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

Penn State had only the most perfunctory interest in playing the game, and Smith would have been forgiven for being distracted. He was coaching a team after not getting the Nittany Lions' head-coaching job that went to Matt Campbell. The roster was in pre-portal flux, as many players on the Penn State team would enter that transfer portal only a week later.

Yet there was Smith, on a freezing afternoon in the Bronx, breaking down in tears after leading the Nittany Lions to their fourth straight victory and a 7-6 final record. He did so despite coaching a team that was missing 16 players, notably its top two running backs and 80 percent of its starting offensive line.

"This is the greatest moment of my life," Smith told ESPN after the Nittany Lions' win. "It's just a great moment for me, my family and ... I said I wasn't going to do that again, but I'm just so happy for our guys."

Look at what Penn State and a bowl game win means for interim head coach Terry Smith 🥹 pic.twitter.com/35zdhXucNY
— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2025

Penn State players, current and former, rallied behind Smith for the season's final seven games, endorsing him as their pick to replace James Franklin and go from interim to full-time head coach. Campbell understood Smith's value to the program, making him a major offer to remain as the program's assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach.

"It's been so awesome to watch his commitment to Penn State, how he's led this football program and football team through tough and trying times," Campbell said. "It's been rewarding. I know he's the cornerstone of this program as a player, as a student-athlete, and now as an incredible football coach. It is my honor to work hand in hand with Terry to build on this great foundation moving forward."

Smith enters his 13th season at Penn State as the football coaching staff's longest-tenured member. In fact, he's the only assistant from Franklin's first staff in 2014 still with the program.

After the Pinstripe Bowl, Smith sounded like a coach ready to get back to his old job.

"For me personally, it's very rewarding that I know and understand that I can handle this seat," Smith said. "It was a great ride. I'm ready for the next chapter. I'm ready to pass the torch on to Coach Campbell. He's an amazing individual and leader and Penn State is in great hands, and I'm ready to help him achieve greatness."

Smith has a larger role on Campbell's staff than he had before, one that takes advantage of his experience at Penn State as a player and coach. After spending time with Campbell over the past five months, Smith said he's glad he stayed.

"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 of next phase of Penn State. Hopefully that's a lot of wins."

I’ve watched this interview 10 times today. So grateful to hear these words from interim head coach Terry Smith of Penn State. Powerful!!
And a great reminder for all of us that just want to focus on the CFP-and nothing else “matters”. This was a SPECIAL day for this coach and… https://t.co/LHIevv9wPU
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 28, 2025

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