Penn State Interim Head Coach Terry Smith and His Wife, Alison, Have Been Married for Over Two Decades!
October 13, 2026
This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on October 13, 2026
Alison Smith, wife of Penn State’s new interim head coach, Terry Smith, has not yet commented on his appointment, which took effect on October 12, 2026, following James Franklin’s dismissal.
On October 12, 2026, Penn State made a big change by firing head coach James Franklin after 12 years.
The team had started the season strong, but then lost three games in a row, dropping to 3-3 and out of the playoff picture.
Above all, this came right after a close 22-21 loss to Northwestern at home, which crushed hopes for a national title run.
With the season still ongoing, the school turned to Terry Smith, their associate head coach and cornerbacks coach, to serve as interim head coach for the remainder of 2026.
Smith, a 1991 Penn State alumnus, has been on staff since 2014. Since then, he has been helping build a top defense and mentoring players like his son, Justin King, who also starred there.
Although his wife, Alison, hasn’t made a public statement, she must be proud of his new designation.
They’ve been together for many years; however, Alison has stayed mostly out of the spotlight.
Having said that, she has had Smith’s back from his early coaching days to his current role at Penn State.
Smith has occasionally acknowledged Alison’s role in his life amid his career changes.
For instance, in a 2016 Penn State athletics bio update, he credited his family as his “rock” during the transition from the Owls to the Nittany Lions.
Terry Smith and Alison Have Two Kids, One of Whom Has Down Syndrome!
Smith and Alison have built a tight-knit family of four, consisting of their two children: a son named Justin King and a daughter named .
Their son, Justin, followed in his father’s footsteps and played football at Penn State. He was a standout cornerback and later went on to play in the NFL.
Terry coached Justin during his high school years and helped guide him into a college football career.
Whereas their daughter, Haley, has Down syndrome. While she stays low-key away from Terry, Terry often speaks about her with pride.
In a feature on Smith’s coaching style, published by the Penn State student newspaper in 2026, he discussed how he adapts his methods to different players.
Smith explained:
Having my daughter, Haley, helped me to develop that as well. She has Down syndrome, so she can learn everything, she just learns differently than everyone else.
He tied this to how he tailors coaching for cornerbacks like Jalen Kimber or Elliot Washington II, emphasizing patience and individual approaches.
Smith’s wife, Alison, wished Haley on Down Syndrome awareness month, writing:
Happy Down Syndrome Day My Beautiful Haley.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- At Gateway High School in Monroeville, PA, Terry Smith was a standout quarterback and wide receiver, leading the Gators to back-to-back WPIAL AAAA championships in 1985 and 1986
- Smith’s younger brother Harvey followed a similar path, playing quarterback at Gateway before earning a scholarship to West Virginia University.
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