Penn State AD Pat Kraft receives contract extension through June 2032

Penn State director of athletics Pat Kraft and his family have lived in the State College area for a little more than two years, but they’ve found a home.

Kraft received a contract extension Monday from the Penn State Board of Trustees that goes through June 30, 2032. His average annual salary over the next eight years is $2.26 million with the opportunity for performance-based bonuses of up to $350,000 annually.

“I love it here,” he said in a phone interview. “I love my job. My family’s happy. We love the passion around the institution and around our program. I think I’m very blessed. We have so much more in front of us, but it’s at our own control.

“Betsy (his wife) and I just feel at peace with everything for the first time in a long time. As a family, that’s really important. It’s just been an amazing two years. I’m fired up to know that I’m going to be here for a while.”

In May, the trustees approved a $700 million project to renovate Beaver Stadium. The work is expected to be completed in 2027.

And last year, they approved a multi-faceted project priced at $68 million to upgrade the Greenberg Sports Complex, the East Area Locker Room and Jeffrey Field The entire project is expected to be finished in 2026.

“I know everybody talks about Beaver Stadium, and that’s great and it’s important,” Kraft said. “But the first time we walked in and saw our facilities for our Olympic(-sport) athletes, we were so far behind. They were so deficient for the needs of what they have to have.

“I was fired up when we got that stuff approved. Those wins were really big for an AD. A lot goes into those types of decisions and getting them done.”

Under Kraft’s leadership, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics recently received gifts of $25 million from the Misitano family and PAM Health and of $10…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-ad-pat-kraft-034600159.html

Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.

Publish date : 2024-08-27 03:46:00

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