Penn State’s search for a new athletics director may soon be coming to an official close. Multiple reports on Tuesday note Penn State is expected to name Patrick Kraft its next athletic director, possibly by the end of the week according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. Kraft is currently the athletics director for Boston College.
Kraft has been the athletics director for Boston College since 2020, but he served for six years as the director of athletics for Temple prior to shipping up to Boston. One of Kraft’s biggest successes while at Temple may have been finding a way to keep former head coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag] in Philadelphia for as long as he did. With Kraft as the AD at Temple, Rhule announced he would remain the head coach of the Owls after coaching the program to a record of 10-4 and a top 20 ranking during the season.
Kraft left Temple to take on the same position at Boston College in 2020, where he has reportedly been a solid leader behind the scenes and out of the limelight. Kraft is responsible for the hiring of former Ohio State assistant Jeff Hafley to be head coach of the Boston College football program.
Oddly enough, the hiring of Kraft will present a unique reunion for the football program. Kraft once hired current defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] to be the head coach at Temple, only for Diaz to turn around after an introductory press conference and accept a head coaching offer from Miami. To be a fly on the wall for that first interaction in Happy Valley.
[autotag]Sandy Barbour[/autotag], Penn State’s current athletics director, will be resigning from her position later this year.
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