For Terry Smith and Ja'Juan Seider, Penn State Is Home

James Franklin's longest-tenured assistants have had opportunities to leave. But Smith and Seider say they're happy in Happy Valley.

Terry Smith and Ja'Juan Seider arrived at Penn State at very different points on the program's arc. Smith is the only assistant remaining from James Franklin's first coaching staff in 2014, when he returned to his alma mater to help rebuild its football team. Seider joined the staff four years later, following Franklin's best two-year stretch as the Lions pressed toward becoming a playoff contender.

Now, Smith and Seider are the two longest-tenured members of Franklin's coaching staff, two of the Big Ten's top position coaches and recruiters and two coaches who have entertained other offers. But they stayed. Smith is in his 10th season at Penn State, Seider his sixth. Though they can't foresee the future, neither demonstrates any eagerness to leave.

"You know, hopefully, Penn State will have me back until I decide to retire," said Smith, who coaches cornerbacks. "I don't really want to go [anywhere] else, but who knows where tomorrow leads us?"

Added Seider, the running backs coach, "I’m enjoying my time here, and if Penn State is the last place I go and finish my career, I’m OK with that, because it’s been a hell of a ride. I’ve still got quite a few years ahead of me, so, again, it would have to make a lot of sense for me to leave this place."

Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith (left) and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider are the two longest-tenured members of James Franklin's coaching staff at Penn State :: Dan Rainville/USA Today Sports photos

On Franklin's list of Penn State assistant coaches since 2014, only five have stayed for at least six years. Smith has been there from the beginning. Original staff members Brent Pry (eight years), Sean Spencer (six years) and Ricky Rahne (six years) left along the way. And Seider is in his sixth season. Franklin hired every other current assistant in 2020 or later. As a result, Smith and Seider hold seats of influence on the staff. They arrived at them in different ways.

Smith, who coaches cornerbacks, has been Penn State's defensive recruiting coordinator since 2014. In 2016 he became the assistant head coach and has been associate head coach since 2021. In 2014, Franklin called Temple coach Matt Rhule about bringing the former Penn State receiver back home. Smith, who coached receivers at Temple, felt that call personally. His father graduated from Penn State with a degree in accounting. Smith was the first Penn State receiver to make more than 50 career catches. His stepson, Justin King, was part of the Lions' dynamic 2005 recruiting class that helped produce a Big Ten title.

"Penn State's taken care of us," Smith said. "Every job I've ever gotten has been tied or connected to someone [from Penn State] or an alum of Penn State. So I'm just super proud of this place. And I just want to keep contributing and keep giving back."

Smith has been one of Penn State's most influential coaches. Over the past six seasons, Smith has guided 10 defensive backs to the NFL Draft, the second-most in college football over that span. Last season the Lions led college football with 85 pass breakups. Earlier this year, Joey Porter Jr., whom Pittsburgh selected with the first pick of the second round, became the highest-drafted cornerback in school history. The 2023 Lions have potentially three more draftable cornerbacks in Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy.

As a recruiter, Smith has helped Penn State bring in 10 consecutive classes ranked among the top 25 nationally. He added Philadelphia to his recruiting territory in 2020, as Penn State sought to refresh its presence in the region, and last year was ranked as the Big Ten's No. 4 recruiter, according to 247Sports. But for Smith, Penn State's progress from 2014 to now is his measurement.

"I'm most proud that we remain relevant. We remain competitive," Smith said. "You know, we're growing as a program. I mean, when we first got here, we were under sanctions, we were lacking scholarships, we were looking at some some dark days as a program. And now, we're on a national scene. We've got a chance to continue to have success and to continue to keep getting better."

Seider arrived at Penn State in 2018, when the program was on that national scene. The Lions had won 22 games the previous two seasons, had a first-round draft pick at running back (Saquon Barkley) and sought to develop another in Miles Sanders. Seider was entirely new to Penn State — he's from Florida, played at West Virginia and Florida A&M and coached in Florida and West Virginia — but had contacts on the staff. He also was intrigued from afar at Penn State's rise.

Franklin hired Seider from Florida, where he spent one season as running backs coach and a top recruiter. Franklin did so with multiple goals, bolstering his recruiting staff and expanding its reach among them. "You don't hire Ja'Juan unless you're going to make a recruiting shift, and you don't hire Ja'Juan and not recruit Florida," Franklin said. "It doesn't make any sense."

Since joining Penn State's staff, Seider has been ranked among 247Sports' top-five Big Ten recruiters three times. Last year, he was ranked No. 1 in the conference. On the field, Seider guided Sanders to a 1,200-yard season in 2018, Journey Brown to 890 yards and a top-five Big Ten finish in 2019 and Nicholas Singleton to 1,061 yards and the Big Ten freshman-of-the-year award last season. 

Seider's responsibilities have grown since 2018. He became the run-game coordinator in 2020, the co-offensive coordinator in 2022 and assistant head coach this season. Seider wants to be a head coach and has turned down opportunities over the past few years. He also wants to win a national championship and believes Penn State is on that arc.

"We can win it all here at Penn State, and that's all you want to do as an assistant coach: be at a program where you feel like you really can win it all," Seider said. "And I feel like we could here."

Both Smith and Seider employed a version of the term "be where your feet are" to describe their Penn State tenures. They've stayed despite having offers to leave. Seider acknowledged that six years is a long-term commitment among college football assistant coaches, but Franklin has made "me not want to leave."

"Have I turned down a lot of opportunities?" Seider asked. "Yes, because I don’t think you just leave Penn State for anything. I want to be a head coach, and I've got the greatest example of what being a head coach/CEO is in front of me every day. So to me, those things are important."

Added Smith, "What keeps me coming back? I love Penn State."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.