Penn State Players Say They've Already Found Their Next Head Coach

Penn State's football players don't get a vote and know they won't have a say in the head-coaching hire. But many want it known that they endorse the candidacy of interim head coach Terry Smith.

"Everyone is all-in with coach Terry," Penn State long snapper Tyler Duzansky said, "so I think he could be a great rreplacement, whatever you want to say, and has definitely made the most of this opportunity. We can’t wait to finish the last couple of games with him."

Penn State (4-6) hosts Nebraska on Saturday at Beaver Stadium for one of the most surreal games of this unexpected season. Smith will coach against former Nittany Lion Matt Rhule in the Penn State Football Letterman's Club Bowl. Meanwhile, former Penn State coach James Franklin will be recruiting in Blacksburg as Virginia Tech's new head coach.

Penn State is in Week 5 of its coaching search, which remains wide open and tight-lipped. The next coach won't be Mike Elko, who announced a contract extension with Texas A&M on Nov. 15. And it won't be Rhule, who signed an extension with the Cornhuskers.

Penn State still could hire Georgia Tech's Brent Key, Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz or even Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, should the Tide not make the College Football Playoff. But among the Nittany Lions on the roster, Smith is their choice. And for reasons deeper than fans might expect.

Stepping into the fire

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh hugs interim head coach Terry Smith. — Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh, center, hugs interim head coach Terry Smith during the game against the Michigan State Spartans. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Smith took over a locker room Oct. 12 that sat stunned as Franklin said goodbye. The players normally practice Sundays. Smith gave them the day off to process Franklin's departure. Then he went to work trying to recapture a bruised locker room.

"Coach Terry stepped into the fire and didn’t waver once," Duzansky said. "He stood up to the plate and he’s kept swinging every day."

Some of those swings were misses. Penn State blew a fourth-quarter lead in a one-point loss to Iowa. It was outscored 21-0 in the second half at Ohio State. And it gave up a last-minute touchdown pass in a bitter 27-24 loss to Indiana.

But Smith and the Nittany Lions kept at it, leading to their 28-10 win at Michigan State. Players hoisted Smith onto their shoulders to give their interim coach a forever memory. Offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh was among them.

"Oh man, every emotion possible," Donkoh said of the moment. "I was happy because we got our first [Big Ten] win but I was so happy it was with coach Terry at this part of the season. I just wanted to show him some love. I love coach Terry. He’s an amazing coach, and I just wanted to make him feel that he was being loved by all of us, especially by me."

Donkoh, a redshirt sopohmore from Virginia, also endorsed Smith's candidacy for the job. Donkoh didn't have much reason to deal with Smith, the team's cornerbacks coach, before the coaching change. But over the past five weeks, he has grown to know Smith far better.

"He works really hard for us and he pours so much energy into us," Donkoh said. "He’s around all the time. He wants to hear player feedback. He wants to know what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong, and he doesn’t just listen to it. He takes that feedback, he runs with it and he makes the changes that are necessary to be beneficial to the team."

Multiple players made that point about feedback. Smith has spent the past month pointing out players' mistakes on film. He "calls everybody out," as linebacker Amare Campbell said.

"And that's the way I like to be," Campbell said. "Don’t sugarcoat anything."

Donkoh didn't sugarcoat another perspective about Smith. During his time on campus, the lineman said he has learned how important Penn State is to Penn State fans and how Smith captures that ethos.

"He is a Penn State blue blood for all the old folks," Donkoh said. "That’s their main thing. They want a Penn State blue blood. ... Ultimately, he's an amazing human being first and foremost. And he would just keep the Penn State culture, that family culture that we have around, and not change the culture into a business-like culture like most programs in the country."

'He just bleeds Penn State'

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Smith delivered the most heartfelt moment of Penn State's season, one that went viral, during his Monday press conference. The coach broke down discussing what it means to coach at his alma mater, where he father began a family pipeline of Penn State degrees. Players have seen that dedication in the locker room.

"Coach was thrown into a crazy fire, and he didn’t waver once," Duzansky said. "He stuck by everybody. He got everyone in the program to buy in, which is not something that’s an easy task. Elsewhere in the country that might not have been possible, but coach Terry was able to do it with us."

Safety Zakee Wheatley said that the players want to play for Smith, even if that's simply to avoid a losing season. Having accomplished that, Wheatley added, should make Smith a candidate for the permanent job.

"I definitely for sure feel like coach Terry Smith should have a shot at being the next Penn State head coach," Wheatley said. "Everyone loves him. I think he just bleeds Penn State."

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Stepping into the fire

'He just bleeds Penn State'

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