STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State University has a new athletic director.
The school announced Friday that Patrick Kraft, a former AD at Boston College and Temple, has been hired as the next vice president for intercollegiate athletics/director of athletics.
He will replace Sandy Barbour, who announced her plans to retire earlier this year.
Kraft will take over his new role on July 1.
Penn State president-elect Neeli Bendapudi called Kraft "a respected leader with a demonstrated record of success and commitment to students and coaches" in the hiring announcement.
"I am thrilled to welcome Pat Kraft and his family — Betsy, Annabelle and Joseph — to the Penn State family," Bendapudi said in a press release. "He is an exceptional and inspiring leader with the vision, experience and drive to excel in this role and to build upon our tradition of intercollegiate athletic success.
"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. With Pat at the helm of our athletics department, the possibilities of what we can accomplish ahead are unlimited."
Kraft signed a five-year contract with a base salary of $750,000 per year, with numerous benchmarks for additional compensation. The full terms of his contract are available here.
Kraft has spent 15 years in intercollegiate athletics. In addition to his leadership roles at BC and Temple, he also served in similar capacities at Loyola Chicago and Indiana University, Penn State said in its announcement.
Since 2020, Kraft has led Boston College's National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I program with 31 varsity teams and been a champion for academic excellence and an advocate for coaches and staff.
Under his leadership, the women's lacrosse team won its first NCAA championship, the sixth in Boston College's history and the first women's NCAA title for the school.
In the classroom, Boston College student-athletes set national records for cumulative GPAs and graduation rates.
Throughout his career, Kraft has also taught business and sports marketing and management, and is a former college football student-athlete.
Kraft's appointment, approved by the Penn State Board of Trustees Subcommittee on Compensation during a meeting on April 29, follows a national search led by Bendapudi with consultative support from a search advisory committee with student-athlete, coach, faculty, staff and administrative representatives.
"This is a special opportunity, and I am incredibly honored to join Penn State's best-in-class athletics program," Kraft said. "I am appreciative of President-elect Bendapudi for her support and invitation to come back to Pennsylvania to be part of the Penn State family.
"In the coming months, I am so excited to meet the community and to begin to work alongside Penn State's talented student-athletes and dedicated coaches and staff to uphold and advance excellence for Penn State. 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.
"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."
Kraft will play a critical role at the head of Penn State's NCAA Division I athletics program — consisting of 31 varsity sports and more than 800 student-athletes and 340 staff — and provide strategic direction and oversight for all aspects of the department.
"In Pat, Penn State has found a leader who inspires teams and enables success through developing and supporting student-athletes and coaches," said Guy Gadowsky, men's ice hockey head coach and member of the search advisory committee. "We found Pat to share our University values and have a high level of integrity and appreciation for family and community — while still bringing the competitive edge and experience needed to bring home wins."
Since 2020, in his current role as director of athletics at Boston College, Kraft has led the Division I program with approximately 700 student-athletes and 215 coaches and staff.
Among top accomplishments under his leadership:
- 70% of all student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.00 or better in fall and spring 2021; the college ranked top 10 in the nation in overall graduation success rate in all sports, among football bowl subdivision (FBS) schools; and 455 student-athletes finished the 2020-21 academic year with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
- The college earned its sixth NCAA team championship and the first for the women's lacrosse team, the first postseason victory for volleyball, and two bowl game qualifications for the football program, among other highlights.
- Five teams ranked in the top 25 nationally, including lacrosse, men's hockey, baseball, field hockey and women's hockey.
- The college met fundraising goals to support efforts for a future practice facility for men's and women's basketball programs, fully endow head coach positions for ski and women's ice hockey, support athletics scholarships and financial aid, and more. He led over $80 million in fundraising and completed more than 11 capital projects.
"In the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, Pat has proven to be a bold leader, whose mindset and ability to adapt is as important as ever," Penn State football coach James Franklin said. "It is clear to me that Pat embraces the proud tradition of Penn State and our 31 athletic programs. Pat's background as a Big Ten college football player has helped mold his understanding of how impactful a successful football program can be for the entire University and community."
Originally from Illinois, Kraft earned a bachelor's degree in sport marketing management, master's degree in sport marketing administration and doctoral degree in sport management, all from Indiana University.
