Interim head coach Terry Smith's place at Penn State was uncertain once Matt Campbell was announced as the Nittany Lions' next head coach. That uncertainty didn't last long, though. Roughly one hour after the hiring announcement, it was revealed that Smith would stay on Campbell's staff moving forward.
One of the main things Smith did once James Franklin was fired was reunify the locker room. The player reactions, many rallying behind Smith to be the next head coach full-time, said enough. In his press conferences, Smith got emotional reflecting on his time and role at Penn State as a former player and current coach.