The Penn State Nittany Lions ended a difficult season with a bowl win on Saturday, and it produced one of the best interviews of bowl season from interim coach Terry Smith.
Penn State beat Clemson 22-10 in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y. on Saturday, salvaging a 7-6 season. Smith managed a 4-3 finish after taking over for James Franklin, and clearly won over his players in the process.
After the game, Smith gave a postgame interview that was equal parts motivational and emotional.
“I can’t be more proud of these guys,” Smith said. “What a resilient group. They could have laid down and quit. They didn’t have to come show up here at the Pinstripe Bowl, but they did. And they played really, really hard.
Smith, who had been an associate head coach before his midseason promotion, got emotional talking about what it meant to him to get to coach his alma mater, even temporarily.
“This is the greatest moment of my life. It’s just a great moment for me, my family,” Smith added. “I love Penn State. I love football. And the game and Penn State have done amazing things for me and my family. I’m just thankful and grateful.”
Look at what Penn State and a bowl game win means for interim head coach Terry Smith 🥹 pic.twitter.com/35zdhXucNY
— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2025
Many of Smith’s players hugged him and celebrated around him during the interview.
A Pennsylvania native, Smith played four seasons for the Nittany Lions before going on to a career largely in the CFL. He returned to Penn State as a cornerbacks coach in 2014 and has been a member of the staff since.
Smith did such a good job as interim coach that he was considered for the permanent job. That instead went to Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, who has already announced that Smith will remain part of the coaching staff going forward.
