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How will incoming Penn State AD Pat Kraft spend his time between now and July 1 start date?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•05/02/22•

GregPickel

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Incoming Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft. (Ryan Snyder/On3)

Penn State introduced incoming Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft back on Friday.

However, the current Boston College athletic director doesn’t actually start leading the Lions for another two months.

When Sandy Barbour announced earlier this year that she would retire before the start of next school year, she said that she and university president-elect Neeli Bendapudi would pick an end date together. They settled on July 1. So, that’s when Kraft will actually take over, even if he’s already been named as her successor.

What will he do between now and then? He discussed that last week.

Finishing one job before starting another

Kraft did not officially confirm that he would continue guiding the Eagles athletic department until the end of May. But, he certainly implied as much.

“It is equally as important how you leave a job and how you start a job,’ Kraft said. “I have to close everything up in Boston. They deserve that. My student athletes are deserve that. So, the month of May will really be focused on making sure that they’re situated and I’ll do everything that they ask of me.”

Times have certainly changed. Bendapudi hired Kraft before even taking over from Eric Barron at Penn State on May 10. And, Kraft is going to continue working his old job after being introduced and welcomed at his new one.

All is well that ends well, though. And, we suspect this arrangement works best for all parties.

In June, the focus turns to Penn State

If you watched any of Kraft’s opening news conference, you know that he tried to answer every question directly. But, he had to defer many of them until he learned more about things like the finances and operations already in place at Penn State.

From the sounds of it, the time for him to study up on all of that will come in June, which will make for a busy month before officially moving into the athletic director seat at Penn State. He’ll lean on Barbour too, he said, to help with the transition. And, there will be some extra time with his family, of course.

“I do think June will be that period,” Kraft hard. “It’s hard for me to sit here actually. I want to get to work and I’m asking questions. But, it will give me a chance to be able to really dive into some of the things that’s just been brought up here. Where are we at from an NIL perspective? What are the issues that we really got to walk up to from a student athlete’s welfare perspective? Finances.

“So, it gives you a little bit of time. But, my goal is July 1, I’m off and running. And, so, I got that month to really figure out kind of our strategy moving in in year one. Things change. But, I’m anxious to take that time to kind of dive in.”

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