Terry Smith is set to take on his first game as interim head coach of Penn State this weekend against Iowa. The interim head coach took over after James Franklin was fired following a narrow loss against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Smith, who served as an associate head coach and cornerbacks coach under Franklin, will serve as interim head coach for the remaining games of the season, including a Big Ten clash against conference favorites Ohio State.
What Was Terry Smith’s Message to Iowa Hawkeyes Ahead of Weekend Clash?
Ahead of his first game as head coach of Penn this weekend, the interim head coach spoke to the media ahead of the Nittany Lions’ game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa is currently 4-2 on the season, and ranks 29th nationally according to PFN’s playoff meter.
“When you grow up in the sport of football, this is the sport you’re allowed to physically unleash yourself. All your ailments in the world, you’re allowed to physically punish the guy across from you,” Smith revealed to the media, warning the Hawkeyes.
Terry Smith on Saturday’s game at Iowa being a ‘big part’ of ‘healing’ for Penn State:
“When you grow up in the sport of football, this is the sport you’re allowed to physically unleash yourself. All your ailments in the world, you’re allowed to physically punish the guy across…
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) October 16, 2025
“This is the outlet that we’re going to look for, that it’s physically OK to punish the Iowa players, much like they’re trying to do to us. But channel your energy in the right way,” Smith suggested.
Currently, the Hakweyes are slight favorites for this weekend’s game, with Penn State looking to avoid going under .500 for the first time since 2020.
Smith will be without quarterback Drew Allar for the rest of his stint as head coach. He injured his ankle in the Nittany Lions’ 22-21 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, crashing the team’s hopes of playoff contention.
Allar’s backup, Ethan Grunkemeyer, came in for the rest of the game. He saw action in four games earlier this season, completing eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, as he prepares to take over as the starter for Smith.
“I’m kind of excited to see him. I think he’s going to give us a bolt of energy, and I’m looking forward to it,” the interim head coach revealed to the media when questioned about his backup quarterback.
Smith is preparing to deal with Penn State’s issues on the field. The Nitanny Lions currently have a host of issues off the field, including Franklin’s buyout. Recently, it was reported that Penn State’s decision to fire Franklin would cost almost $50 million. This makes it the second-richest buyout in the history of college football.
However, during the most recent episode of ‘The Triple Option,’ former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer recently revealed that it may cost even more than what was initially reported for Penn to part ways with Franklin.
“When you start adding this up… you’re talking about, and this is what someone told me from the Penn State team, this could be a $75 million transaction,” Meyer revealed, also sharing what he believes the issues plaguing Penn State were.
“You have a staff issue; you have 2-3 people on the staff that are cancerous or underperforming. Once again, I do not know, but I want everybody to think about it. Because there’s no other reason, I’ve done this forever,” the former Ohio coach explained.
Smith will have an uphill battle to face as the interim coach. PFSN’s playoff meter currently projects the Nittany Lions to win five games in total this season. They would need a miracle to even make it to the playoffs, with a near 0% chance, as their season looks to be all but over.