Firing a head coach is never easy, especially after a decade. Yet Penn State and James Franklin parted ways smoothly, with Franklin waiving $40 million of his $49 million buyout to take the Virginia Tech job. Interim coach Terry Smith quickly stepped in, sending his support and reassurance to the program.

Terry Smith began the season coaching Penn State football alongside James Franklin in their quest to win a national championship. Nobody expected James Franklin and the Nittany Lions to unravel the way they did. Fast forward to Thanksgiving week, Penn State decided to pull the buyout trigger on the head coach after going 3–3. Franklin’s departure changed the landscape. Terry stepped in as interim head coach while Franklin was officially hired at Virginia Tech. As Smith transitioned into

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