Penn State hires Patrick Kraft from BC as athletic director

FILE – Then-Temple University athletic director Patrick Kraft speaking during a news conference in Philadelphia on Dec. 6, 2016. Penn State is working to finalize a deal with Kraft, the current Boston College athletic director, to replace the retiring Sandy Barbour and become the school’s next AD. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the school and Kraft were closing in on an agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday, April 26, 2022, because a deal was not complete. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE – Then-Temple University athletic director Patrick Kraft speaking during a news conference in Philadelphia on Dec. 6, 2016. Penn State is working to finalize a deal with Kraft, the current Boston College athletic director, to replace the retiring Sandy Barbour and become the school’s next AD. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the school and Kraft were closing in on an agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday, April 26, 2022, because a deal was not complete. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State hired Boston College athletic director Patrick Kraft to be its next AD on Friday.

Kraft, 43, will take over for the retiring Sandy Barbour on July 1 after the Penn State Board of Trustees approved an agreement that had been in the works for several days.

“The University is world class, rich with tradition and has passionate fan support, and we will never stray from what has made the program great,” Kraft said in a statement. “My focus will be to provide the best experience for our student-athletes and staff, continue to grow our sports programs, and to enhance the best atmosphere in the Big Ten for our community and fans.”

The former Indiana football player has been leading Boston College’s athletic department for almost two years. Previously, he was athletic director at Temple for five years after serving two years at the Philadelphia school as a deputy AD.

“Along with having a bold vision for excellence and an impressive record of achievement, Pat values teamwork and cares above all about the success and development of student-athletes and coaches on and off the field,” Penn State president-elect Neeli Bendapudi said. “With Pat at the helm of our athletics department, the possibilities of what we can accomplish ahead are unlimited.”

Barbour, 62, announced in March that she would retire this summer after leading Penn State athletics for the past eight years. She also had previous stints as AD at Tulane and California during a long career in college sports.

Barbour took over as Penn State was emerging from the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Kraft is the second consecutive athletic director at Boston College to hold the job for fewer than three years, following Martin Jarmond, who left in 2020 for the same job at UCLA.

Kraft takes over an athletic program that supports 31 sports and 800 athletes, with football as the centerpiece.

Before announcing her departure, Barbour gave coach James Franklin, coming off a 7-6 season, a new 10-year contract worth $85 million.

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