Report: Boston College Athletic Director Pat Kraft to be Hired at Penn State

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on Tuesday morning that Boston College Athletic Director Pat Kraft is the leading candidate for Penn State’s AD job, and that a deal may be done with him as soon as this week.

Kraft’s tenure at Boston College has been short, only staying in Chestnut Hill from June 2020 til April 2022 if this report is true. That would make him the second BC AD to leave for greener pastures in a short period of time, just after Martin Jarmond did so for UCLA in 2020.

His time at BC has been fairly consequential, however. Primarily, he made a new head coaching hire for the men’s basketball program, he struck new apparel deals with New Balance and Adidas, he secured plans for a new basketball practice facility, he laid the infrastructure for the NIL era at Boston College, and he at least had begun the search for a new head coach to replace the legend Jerry York. It’s much too early to make final judgments on most of his moves, but they all could end up being significant boosts (or drags) on BC Athletics.

Top of mind for Boston College Eagles fans right now: How will this affect the men’s ice hockey coaching search?

Thoughts on the backburner: Why do Boston College ADs continue to jump ship, and how can the next hire solve this issue?