Penn State players hold up 'Hire Terry Smith' sign following win over Nebraska

Terry Smith got a ringing endorsement from his players to become the permanent head coach of Penn State football. Currently the interim coach, Smith led the Nittany Lions to a dominant 37-10 victory against Nebraska on Saturday, marking the second straight victory.

After the game, cornerback Elliot Washington and offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh were seen holding up a sign that read “Hire Terry Smith.” They relayed the same message to the NBC cameras in the moments following the victory.

“Hire this man immediately,” Donkoh said.

“HIRE THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY!”

Safe to safe @PennStateFball players want interim head coach Terry Smith brought on full time 😅

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/p2wOeMPNgY

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2025

The Penn State players were not the only ones voicing their opinions about Smith at the game. Nittany Lions fans also could be heard chanting Smith’s name loudly in the moments following the game.

The coach took a moment to soak it all in during a postgame interview. After reflecting on what it meant, he sent a strong message.

“It means everything,” Smith said of seeing the support for him. “These guys listen and they trust me and they’re going out there and playing great football. It’s my locker room.”

Smith took over as the interim coach in October following the firing of James Franklin. The team was in the midst of a three-game losing streak at that time and went on to three more after Smith was promoted to increase the losing streak to six. However, last week they finally notched their first Big Ten win of the season against Michigan State.

Now with the win against Nebraska, they’ve got a lot of momentum heading into the final game of the season against Rutgers. Likewise, Smith is gaining momentum as a legitimate candidate to stay on as head coach past the end of this season. If he gets the team to bowl eligibility, that will only grow stronger.

Terry Smith reacts to Penn State players advocating for him to become full-time head coach

Saturday wasn’t the first time that Penn State players made it known that they wanted Smith to stay on as coach. They also gave him an endorsement following last week’s win against the Spartans.

The coach expressed his gratitude for the players making a case for him. Not only that, but for not giving up on him in the middle of this difficult season.

“Those guys play hard for me,” Smith said. “We’re one. We’re a family. I take bullets for them, they take bullets for me. I’m just, I’m proud of those guys, like I stated over these last four weeks. We’re just staying present right now. Right?”

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.