Penn State Nittany Lions

• A standout wide receiver at Penn State, Terry M. Smith is in his 11th season as the Nittany Lions’ defensive recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach, and his fourth as associate head coach after being assistant head coach the previous five years.
• Smith, the No. 4-ranked recruiter in the Big Ten (31st nationally) in 2023 by 247Sports, has helped PSU secure 11 consecutive top-25 classes, including a top-5 class in 2018, a top-6 class in 2022 and top-15 classes in eight of the last 10 seasons.
• Smith has played a pivotal role developing 10 Penn State defensive back draft picks the last six years, second most nationally during that span.
• The Nittany Lions allowed just 172.1 passing yards per game in 2023, good for seventh in the nation.
• He led a cornerback room in 2023 which featured three All-Big Ten honorees in Kalen King (second team), Johnny Dixon (third team) and Daequan Hardy (third team).
• The Nittany Lions finished first nationally in 2022 with 85 pass breakups, and second in defensive pass efficiency and completion percentage.
• Smith tutored a pair of second-team All-Americans in 2022 in Joey Porter Jr. and King, the fourth and fifth All-American corners in program history, who both earned All-Big Ten honors along with Dixon.
• Porter became the highest-drafted Penn State defensive back ever, as he went 32nd overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft.
• King led all Power Five players in passes defended (21) in 2022.
• Penn State’s defense allowed just 17.3 points per game in 2021 (6th nationally) and just 11 passing touchdowns (4th).
• The cornerback room had a pair of All-Big Ten honorees in Porter (third team) and Tariq Castro-Fields (honorable mention), while Hardy finished 12th in the league in passes defended in 2021.
• Both of Penn State’s starting cornerbacks earned All-Big Ten honors in 2020, as Porter picked up third-team recognition and Castro-Fields earned honorable mention laurels from the league.
• Penn State allowed just 10 passing touchdowns (T-3rd nationally) and broke up 52 passes (T-23rd) in 2019. The secondary contributed to 11 of PSU’s nation’s best 22 forced fumbles while John Reid and Castro-Fields earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
• In 2018, PSU's defense finished fifth nationally in yards per pass attempt, eighth in passing efficiency and 15th in passing yards allowed.
• Cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye (first team) and Reid (honorable mention) each earned 2018 All-Big Ten honors.
• The Nittany Lions held three opponents to 60 or less yards through the air (Pittsburgh, 55; Wisconsin, 60; Rutgers, 46) in 2018, the first time since 1976 that PSU has held three teams to 60 or less passing yards.
• Both of Smith’s starting cornerbacks, Christian Campbell and Grant Haley, earned 2017 All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades.
• In addition, Oruwariye collected second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2017 after grabbing a team-high four picks to go with eight pass breakups.
• The defense finished Top 25 in scoring defense (7th; 16.5), total defense (17th; 329.5) and passing efficiency defense (21st; 114.88) in 2017.
• In 2016, Haley scooped up the blocked field goal attempt and returned it 60 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the win over No. 2 Ohio State. He also made the game-sealing tackle on fourth-and-1 on Wisconsin’s final drive of the Big Ten Championship Game.
• Smith’s second season saw the secondary rank eighth in the FBS in passing yards allowed (173.5), while cornerbacks Trevor Williams and Haley each earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades in 2015.
• In his first year back at Penn State, he developed a secondary that pushed the Nittany Lions to finish No. 2 nationally in pass efficiency defense.
• Smith was the wide receivers coach at Temple in 2013, where the Owls set a school record for passing yards (2,996) and tied the school standard with 23 receiving touchdowns in 2013, with current Miami Dolphin Robby Anderson gaining a school game-record 249 yards.
• A standout player at Gateway High School near Pittsburgh, Smith was a highly successful head coach at his alma mater from 2002-12, compiling a record of 101-30 and posting four WPIAL AAAA runner-up finishes.

• Smith was a three-year starter at wide receiver at Penn State.
• He still dots the Penn State record books, ranking tied for 10th in career receiving touchdowns (15), 14th in career receiving yardage (1,825) and 15th in career receptions (108).
• He helped Penn State play in three consecutive bowl games, including wins over BYU in the 1989 Holiday Bowl and Tennessee in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, compiling an 11-2 record and No. 3 final ranking in the polls.
• Smith’s professional career spanned the NFL, Arena Football League and Canadian Football League.
• He was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in June 2018.

• Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) - Pittsburgh Steelers; 2023 32nd overall pick
• Tariq Castro-Fields (Penn State) - Washington Commanders; 2022 sixth-round pick
• Zech McPhearson (Penn State) - Philadelphia Eagles; 2021 fourth-round pick
• John Reid (Penn State) - NFL (2020-23); 2020 fourth-round pick
• Amani Oruwariye (Penn State) - Jacksonville Jaguars; 2019 fifth-round pick
• Christian Campbell (Penn State) - NFL (2018-19); 2018 sixth-round pick
• Grant Haley (Penn State) - NFL (2018-22)
• Jordan Lucas (Penn State) - NFL (2016-21); 2016 sixth-round pick
• Trevor Williams (Penn State) - NFL (2016-20)
• Robby Chosen (Temple) - Miami Dolphins
• Nate Hairston (Temple) - NFL (2017-23); 2017 fifth-round pick
• Justin King (Gateway) - NFL (2008-13); 2008 fourth-round pick
• Mortty Ivy (Gateway) - NFL (2009-12)
• Dayonne Nunley (Gateway) - Three-time All-MAC (2011-13)
• Dorian Bell (Gateway) - 2012 All-American third-team
• Montae Nicholson (Gateway) - NFL (2017-19); 2017 fourth-round pick

Personal

Year at Penn State: 11th
Hometown: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Education: Penn State University, 1991 - B.S. Business Management
Family: Wife: Alison; Son: Justin King; Daughter: Haley

Coaching Career

2021-present - Penn State (Associate Head Coach/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
2016-20 - Penn State (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
2014-16 - Penn State (Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
2013 - Temple (Wide Receivers)
2003-12 - Gateway (Pa.) High School (Head Coach and Athletic Director)
2002 - Gateway High School (Head Coach)
2001 - Gateway High School (Offensive Coordinator)
1997-2000 - Duquesne (Passing Coordinator)
1996 - Hempfield High School (Assistant Coach)

Playing Experience

• Penn State University (1987-91)
• Washington Redskins (1992) - Wide Receiver 
• CFL Toronto Argonauts (1993) - Wide Receiver 
• CFL Shreveport Pirates (1994-95) - Wide Receiver
• AFL Albany Firebirds (1996) - Wide Receiver

Bowl Games as a Coach

• 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Penn State
• 2023 Rose Bowl - Penn State
• 2022 Outback Bowl - Penn State
• 2019 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Penn State
• 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl - Penn State
• 2017 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl - Penn State
• 2017 Rose Bowl - Penn State
• 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl - Penn State
• 2014 Pinstripe Bowl - Penn State