AP Photo Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft greets players during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Sept. 27, in State College, Pa.

UNIVERSITY PARK — As a third-generation Penn Stater, you could say that Terry Smith bleeds blue and white. He’s been there since 2014 when James Franklin hired him at the start of his era in 2014, he graduated from the school in 1991, and it’s a good bet that he’s not looking to leave State College any time soon.

“I call this place home,” said Smith, who has recruited about ¾ of the current roster.

Smith was handed the interim tag as the new head coach after Franklin’s dismissal on Sunday, and will have the difficult task of getting a season that has gone south to get back on track after falling the last two games as more than 20-point favorites.

“Every person that’s in the Lasch building, James Franklin brought them there,” Smith said. From the coaches, the staff, and the personnel in the building. He brought every one of us there. There’s an attachment to him. There’s a sense of loyalty to him. Now it’s my job to press us forward.”

Is there any chance for Smith to be retained as the permanent head coach?

“Absolutely. Everybody is under consideration,” PSU athletic director Pat Kraft said. “And I’m going to help Terry do everything he can to run the table. But yes, he will be considered a candidate.”

The Nittany Lions had a team meeting at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, and Smith heard the news of Franklin being fired and him being the interim coach around 1:20 p.m. Smith said he was stunned at the news like most people around the country.

“James has always told me that if something happened to him, he would recommend that I’d be the next person to lead,” Smith said. “You’re dealt a certain hand in life. Whatever that hand is, you have to play it. This is the hand that I’ve been dealt to lead this program.”

Franklin was able to address the team Sunday, which was described as an emotional meeting. Smith and Franklin also talked Sunday evening, and Smith was able to express gratitude towards Franklin.

“He took us out of a dark era, and got us to be a relevant program again,” Smith said. “We don’t take that for granted.”

The only other change that Smith made when he took over was the addition of Jordan Lucas to take his position as the defensive backs coach. Lucas was serving as the assistant cornerbacks coach after starting out as a recruiting coordinator.

Otherwise, Smith reiterated that the standard for Penn State football has to remain the standard.

“We have to get our grittiness back, our toughness, our swag. And most importantly, we have to go have fun and enjoy playing the game of football,” Smith said.

The road certainly doesn’t get any easier with the ouster of Franklin and the promotion of Smith. First, there’s a night game in Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium this weekend. After a bye week, the Lions go to No. 1 Ohio State before finally coming home for Indiana, who has a coach in Curt Cignetti that is at the top of many fans’ wish lists as Penn State’s coach in 2026.

And Smith definitely wants to win all of the remaining six games, but he certainly doesn’t let the wins and losses determine his definition of success.

“Success is the team pulling the rope in the same direction,” he said. “When we play, the questions won’t be about effort and they look lethargic. If we lose, it’s going to be because they just beat us and they were just better. There’s not one of those teams that we could argue we think is better than us, including Oregon.”

Smith may have the interim tag on him now, but a lot would consider him to be nearly the perfect fit in a time of turmoil in State College. He said he doesn’t think of his position at Penn State as a job. He definitely doesn’t want to see any possible holdouts with virtually no chance that the Lions can make the College Football Playoffs.

The third-generation Penn Stater is just worried about putting together a much better showing for the next six games.

“I promise we’re going to put a better product on the field that every Penn Stater is going to be super proud of,” Smith said.