‘It’s my locker room.’ Terry Smith makes case for Penn State job, players show support

Penn State football players are showing it on the field with their recent play, and now they’ve got signs just in case you weren’t paying attention: They want interim coach Terry Smith hired full-time.

Penn State blasted Nebraska 37-10 on Saturday night — a Nebraska team coached by Matt Rhule, the Penn State alum many had linked to the job vacated when James Franklin was fired Oct. 12.

Under Smith, the Nittany Lions (5-6) have won two straight after putting a major scare in second-ranked Indiana that required a last-minute masterpiece from Fernando Mendoza, capped by Omar Cooper Jr. defying gravity.

In his on-field postgame interview following Saturday’s win, Smith seemed to stake a claim for the job while players behind him held signs that read ‘Hire Terry Smith’ and fans chanted his name.

“The emotion is I love my guys. I love my locker room, and you see how hard my guys play,’ Smith said. ‘These guys play inspired football. They’re motivated. And we finished once again tonight… These guys listen to me. They trust me. And they’re going out there playing great football.

‘It’s my locker room.”

That’s some mic drop.

Smith has been at Penn State since 2014, joining the Nittany Lions’ staff shortly after Franklin was hired away from Vanderbilt.

Throughout his tenure, he has been Penn State’s defensive recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach. Since 2021, he has also been the associate head coach.

USA TODAY Sports trending reporter Craig Meyer contributed to this story.