Terry Smith addresses his future at Penn State if he does not get full-time head coaching job

Penn State‘s head coaching search is ongoing and so far, no move has been made on naming the next Nittany Lions head coach. One name that has been gaining some momentum, however, is interim head coach Terry Smith.

The Penn State alum has made it no secret that he wants to continue leading the Nittany Lions into the future. He made his case for becoming the team’s next head coach to begin Rutgers game week, while also addressing his future if that doesn’t pan out.

“I’ll reiterate: I love Penn State,” Smith said on Monday. “I would be open to any possibilities of staying here. You know, obviously I would like to be the head coach here, but this week I’m worried about Rutgers. My goal is to finish this season off with three victories in a row, get us bowl eligible, and then get prepared for a bowl game after that.”

The last two games certainly help Smith’s case, beating both Michigan State and Nebraska by a combined score of 65-20. The week before, Penn State nearly upset No. 2 Indiana. It took a fourth quarter comeback for the Hoosiers to win 27-24.

It doesn’t hurt to know that Smith played in Happy Valley during the late 1980s and early 90s. Moreover, he’s been on the program’s coaching staff since 2014. Working his way up from cornerbacks coach, he’s hoping to take the next step in his coaching career by having the interim tag removed from his title.

“I think no one knows Penn State better than me, of all the candidates out there,” Smith pitched. “I know the history of Penn State. I know the culture, the DNA. I know the locker room. I know administration. I think I’m a good leader. I think I’m a leader of men. You know, that will take care of itself when the time comes.

“My focus right now is, obviously, we have to beat Rutgers. We approach these last couple weeks as do-or-die, playoff-type games, and this is another playoff game for us in our own reality of our world.”

Kickoff between Penn State and Rutgers is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET live on the Big Ten Network. Both teams come into the final week of the regular season with a 5-6 record, meaning the loser will not become bowl eligible in 2025. The Nittany Lions are 10-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, and Penn State has never allowed more than 10 points in a game vs. Rutgers.