Would Terry Smith Really Be That Bad of a Hire? Give Him the Keys to the Floats?

Penn State keeps striking out on every attempt to land a new head coach. Literally every name potentially tied to the job has fallen through since James Franklin was shown the door. Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti, Eli Drinkwitz, Brian Hartline, Mike Elko, and Kalani Sitake to name a few...well it feels like they just used Penn State to land more money elsewhere.  So the question becomes, is Terry Smith the logical hire for Penn State? He has certainly stabilized the chaos in the post Franklin aftermath. Clearly, he is very well liked inside the Lasch Building, and Smith represents continuity and institutional pride. Heck, players have openly supported Terry with "Hire Terry" signs after the last few games, so he has locker room support.

Photo Credit: Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire

In a perfect world I think Terry deserves a chance. He has earned it and clearly Penn State means so much to him. His story is nothing short of awe inspiring. For me, the only hesitation isn't about character or ability to coach, I just don't know how he would fare in the transfer portal and new NIL era of college football. If this were just 10 years ago, I’d hire Terry without hesitation. Perhaps I’m selling him short, there may very well be more backing from the Board, the mega-donors, and Pat Kraft than any of us realize, but my gut says Penn State is going to move in a new direction. Time will tell how this chapter ends, but what’s undeniable is the job Terry has already done. He took a shaken roster, stabilized it, dragged the team back to .500, and secured a bowl berth.