Penn State’s Terry Smith draws strength from his daughter [opinion]

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Terry Smith has been reliable, direct and effective since he joined the Penn State football staff as James Franklin’s first assistant coach in 2014.

That hasn’t changed since he became the interim head coach last month when director of athletics Pat Kraft fired Franklin.

“He’s a straight-up guy,” linebacker Amare Campbell said. “He calls everybody out. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your role is or whatever. If you’re putting bad stuff on film, if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, he calls it out.

“And that’s the way I like it to be. Don’t sugarcoat anything.”

Smith’s first three games as the interim coach were a gauntlet – a night game at Iowa, followed by back-to-back games against No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana.

Despite facing high-caliber opponents and living under a cloud of uncertainty, the Nittany Lions made progress and last weekend played their finest game of the season against the Hoosiers.

The day after Franklin was dismissed, Smith promised that no one would question Penn State’s effort for as long as he was the head coach. And no one has.

“The first couple weeks, he was trying to get a feel for things,” said former Penn State cornerback Justin King, Smith’s son. “Once he got the handle on everything, it was like riding a bike again.”

Last month, Kraft said Smith, a former Lions wide receiver, “will pour his heart and soul into this role.” And he has.

“His love for Penn State is unconditional,” King said. “It’s a part of who we are.”

The 56-year-old Smith has tremendous perspective. He and his wife, Alison, have raised King and Haley, their 26-year-old special-needs daughter. She holds the family together.

“She was born when I was 12 and has been a blessing since day one,” King said. “She’s the glue to our family. When she sees me, she’s always happy. You can’t be in a bad mood around her. It makes you thankful for every moment that you do have.”

Haley keeps Smith and his family grounded and enables them to weather storms, such as the one he and the Lions are enduring these days.

“If the world had what she possesses, we wouldn’t have any of these issues going on,” Smith said. “We wouldn’t have war, a government shutdown or things like that. She has unconditional love. She doesn’t care that we win or lose.

“Every day, I get the same hug and greeting when I walk through the door. It’s like the first time she’s ever seen me. That strength encourages me, lifts me up and helps me through the day and lets me know that this is just a game.”

Smith’s steady leadership has been praised by Penn State players.

“He’s very straight forward,” quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer said. “He’s going to tell you what he thinks and it’s really how you respond to that. That’s been a plus. I think that’s one of his strengths. He’s not scared to tell you what he thinks.

“It’s been important for me being in the role I’m in to have someone who’s going to tell me what I need to do to grow.”

Smith said last month that he’d like to become the permanent Penn State coach. But that probably won’t happen despite his ties to the university and despite the job he’s doing under extraordinary circumstances.

Kraft is shooting for the stars, pursuing college head coaches who he feels can lead the Lions to their first national title since 1986.

Whoever the next Penn State head coach is, he would be wise to keep Smith on the staff in an important capacity.

“When the guys (players) come up and ask me about my future, the truth is, I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just like them. I don’t know. We live in the moment, so I’m the head coach right now.

“You know, I love Penn State. I would examine any position to stay at Penn State, but my concern right now is how do we beat Michigan State.”

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