Penn State names former Boston College AD as university's next Athletic Director
State College, PA (WJAC) —
Penn State announced its new Athletic Director at a press conference Friday morning.
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According to a release, former Director of Athletics at Boston College Patrick Kraft will assume the role following the retirement of Sandy Barbour.
Read MoreThe university announced Barbour's retirement last month, and Kraft is slated to take over beginning July 1.
I am thrilled to welcome Pat Kraft and his family — Betsy, Annabelle and Joseph — to the Penn State family. 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,” President-elect Neeli Bendapudi said. “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 has served as the Director of Athletics at Boston College since 2020, and has previously held leadership positions at Temple University, Loyola University Chicago and Indiana University.
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This is a special opportunity, and I am incredibly honored to join Penn State’s best-in-class athletics program. 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,” Kraft said. “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.ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ5GivXC%2Fz6ipratfpbKvuoysq5qslWS9prrNZqqtmaSaerW7jKeYpp1dm7yzucSrZJuno6m8r3nCqKOlnZeaeqKwjJqqZq2ensOmvtKiq7KrXaOyucCMmquhpJWptqR5w6KpnpukpL8%3D