James Franklin shares value of retaining Terry Smith from original staff
There has been plenty of turnover on the Penn State football staff since James Franklin took over as the head coach ahead of the 2014 season.
One constant has been former Nittany Lions player Terry Smith, who has been with Franklin every step of the way.
The associate head coach, defensive recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach is entering his 10th season on staff at Penn State.
It is rare for a coach to spend that much time at one place, particularly with the way the college football schedule is for coaches these days. However, Smith has remained loyal.
“It’s harder than it’s ever been with some of the new rules in college football. Some coaches are leaving for the NFL. You see it all over the country,” Franklin said. “So when you get a guy like Terry that you can get on staff and he’s been highly productive, he’s got great perspective – not only to the game of football but specifically Penn State – from a historical perspective as well as what we’ve done in the last 10 years — there’s a ton of value in that.”
Smith was a three-year starter at receiver for Penn State during his playing days, finishing his career with 108 catches for 1,825 yards.
He started his coaching career as a high school coach, before eventually being hired as the receivers coach at Temple in 2013.
A year later, he joined Franklin at Penn State when Franklin took over the Nittany Lions program. Smith has been there ever since.
Franklin loves what the 53-year-old brings to the Penn State program.
“Whether it’s the seniors that have been with him since their freshmen year, whether it’s recruiting western PA and specifically Pittsburgh, he’s been phenomenal. He really has,” Franklin said. “He’s been invaluable for us on the staff. I think he’s got great perspective.”
Franklin also appreciates that Smith is opinionated and doesn’t mind speaking his mind.
When Franklin has a decision to make, he doesn’t hesitate to lean on Smith.
“He’s also not a yes man. You ask him a question, you’re going to get an answer, and for me, I value that. A lot of times people in leadership positions say they want that. Then they get in a leadership position and they don’t necessarily like that. Terry’s going to tell you his opinion, which for me, in this role, ultimately I’ve got to make the decision at the end of the day, but I can’t make a great decision unless I’ve heard from the players that have earned that voice, and then the same thing from the staff,” Franklin said.
“So he’s been awesome. He’s continued to be a consistent leader within our program and an ambassador outside of our program.”