Why Penn State's Matt Campbell Made Terry Smith an Offer He Couldn't Refuse

The Nittany Lions' new coach called retaining Smith "critically important" to his new staff.

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith is congratulated by athletic director Pat Kraft following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | New Penn State football coach Matt Campbell and interim head coach Terry Smith have known each other for longer than a decade. They fmet in the early 2010s, when Campbell was the head coach at Toledo and Smith was the head coach at Gateway High near Pittsburgh. 

Campbell would recruit Smith’s athletes to the Rockets, as he knew the players he’d get from Smith stood for something “bigger than just football.” Campbell said during his introductory press conference Monday that he would “love” watching Smith interact with his players, calling Penn State’s interim head coach an “inspiring human.”

Today, Campbell still has the utmost respect for Smith. So much so that, during his interview process for the Penn State job, Campbell pushed to retain Smith on his staff. Although that didn’t take much convincing. 

“It was critically important for me to keep Terry, in my opinion,” Campbell said. “Terry and I have had a great partnership from his days at Gateway. I know what he's about and what he stands for. Building a staff is so critical because you need to build it around the same character values as who you are and what you want your team to stand for.

“Ironically, I think [Campbell’s wife] Erica and I were watching the Penn State-Nebraska game. And you watched the intensity and the character and how this Penn State football team played. As soon as we got into discussions about this job, it was one of the first questions that I asked. ‘Boy, I would really like to keep Terry. What do you think?’ It was a resounding yes.”

RELATED: Inside the 'Netflix documentary' that led Penn State to hire Terry Smith

Penn State coach Matt Campbell on Terry Smith, who he got to know while recruiting as the head coach at Toledo. Smith will remain on Penn State’s staff. pic.twitter.com/IgP06c21QP

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) December 8, 2025

Penn State reportedly signed Smith, the former Nittany Lions wide receiver who has been on Penn State’s staff since 2012, to a four-year deal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Smith became one of the most vital pieces of Penn State’s program after he took over as interim head coach Oct. 12. He led the team to a three-game win streak to conclude the regular season. Smith will coach Penn State in the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson at Yankee Stadium.

With Smith at the helm, the team took it up a notch. The Nittany Lions rallied around him, and many players vouched for the long-time cornerbacks coach to earn a promotion. Players held up “Hire Terry Smith” posters after wins over Nebraska and Rutgers, and fans chanted his name in the last home game of the season.

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft and President Neeli Bendapudi made sure to mention Smith during their remarks at Monday’s press conference. 

“Terry is Penn State,” Kraft said. “We made Terry the interim head coach because I felt he was the one person in this building to unify the team, and he's shown that. So the Terry decision was an absolute no-brainer, easy. That's a testament to Terry. I think I've got the best football coach in the country and I've got a partner for him who is Penn State, who will fight for Penn State, lead his kids. I don't know about you, but I feel really good about our chances moving forward.”

Added Bendapudi, “Importantly, a very special thank you to coach Terry Smith. Thank you for stepping up and showing us what true dedication to Penn State and our student-athletes looks like. I'm truly proud to have you as a Penn Stater.”

Team Meeting No. 1 pic.twitter.com/agS9Vixrzt

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 8, 2025

Campbell said that he “couldn’t be more grateful” to work with Smith, with whom he shared a hug during his first Penn State team meeting Monday afternoon. He called Smith's decision to stay with Penn State “huge for me.”

“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.”

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