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Penn State

Penn State picks Terry Smith as its interim head coach following firing of James Franklin

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel10/12/25GregPickel
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Penn State head coach James Franklin and assistant coach Terry Smith attended the Class 4A game between Aliquippa and Dallas. (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

The James Franklin era in State College is over. The 12th-year leader of the Nittany Lions was fired on Sunday following his team’s 3-3 start. The news comes amid a stunning three-week stretch that saw the team go from leading in overtime against Oregon to losing both that game and the two that followed, at UCLA and at home against Northwestern.

Franklin’s buyout, per terms of his 2021 contract extension, is north of $50 million if the university fires him without cause. However, the exact number is unknown because the school never released the new terms agreed to last November, according to the school, to account for the expanded College Football Playoff.

Penn State started the season as the No. 2 team in both preseason polls after making a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. With three uninspiring but nonetheless wins in non-conference play, Franklin sat one win away from passing Rip Engle for the second-most wins as a Nittany Lions head coach. Instead, he’ll finish in third with a final record of 104-45 over 12 seasons.

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Who is the interim head coach?

Longtime Franklin assistant and Penn State alum Terry Smith, who is currently the associate head coach, is the new interim head coach. He has only ever been a head coach at the high school level. But, between his ties to the current roster, alumni base, and future recruits, it’s hard to put anyone else above him on this list. Which is why he was the obvious pick. Other candidates included first-year running backs coach Stan Drayton, who came to the Lions after serving as Temple’s head coach. And, first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was the head coach at Cornell a long time ago, as well. But Smith was always going to be the smart choice. And he is the final one in the end.

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