There was a collective happiness among the leaders of Penn State’s athletic department on Monday morning. That’s when athletic director Pat Kraft announced to the group that his contract had been extended through 2032. Kraft is now set to make $2.26 million annually, a sum that the university already feels comfortable with just three years into his tenure.
Kraft has been a breath of fresh air for a number of the department’s head coaches, and none more than James Franklin, who leads the greatest money-making sport of anyone. There’s no denying it: Kraft wants to win and win big, and he has taken the steps necessary to begin turning his dreams into reality, especially as it relates to football.
“I think the biggest thing is we got a man leading the department that is a competitor, and I’m talking about a fierce competitor in everything he does, and that’s important,” Franklin said Monday.
Franklin had for years fought with Kraft’s predecessor, Sandy Barbour, for various improvements within his program. There were concerns over the financial pool for assistant coaches, the durability of the team’s practice facilities and, most recently, the lack of competitiveness in transitioning to the modern, NIL-age of college athletics.
Franklin’s rift with the athletic department brass has quelled. Kraft and Deputy AD for Internal Operations Vinnie James have found solutions to problems and challenges that Franklin said he’s “had for a number of years.” Franklin and Kraft share the same mindset when it comes to improvements: to win is to be aggressive.
“We got to be tough. That’s, like, Penn State and our kids, I think, are really understanding that,” Kraft said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “I think this is going to be a really special year for us. But I think that’s been our focus, is to continue to keep giving the resources to the student athletes so that we can continue to, like, chop wood.”
The $700-million renovation of Beaver Stadium is just the latest and grandest project of Kraft’s tenure. It’s the epitome of his bold and aggressive mentality, but his track record of improvements throughout the athletic department has grown before and during construction — maybe the most important being his relationship with Franklin.
A polished, modernized and more-complete Beaver Stadium is sure to help Franklin and other varsity head coaches recruit on game days. But so are stabilized support staffs, with assistant coaches now rarely making lateral moves to other programs and a brand new training table dining room.
Franklin said he believes Penn State was the nation’s only top-10 program that didn’t have one.
“I think the training table is a significant win, keeping our guys big and strong throughout a challenging season, through a long season, and a longer season, and more competitive season with our schedule than maybe Penn State’s ever had,” Franklin said. “That is as big of a win that I’ve been fighting for 10 years, and we’re finally able to get done with Pat.”
The renovation of Beaver Stadium is set for completion in 2027. Construction of the East Area Locker Room, Jeffrey Field Soccer Operations Center and Indoor Practice Bubble are also undergoing construction. By the time Kraft’s new contract is up in eight years, Penn State can only hope that these improvements translate to national championships.
Franklin appears confident that the wins will come with an already-established culture of aggressive pursuit and an increased alignment from coaches and players to the athletic department.
“I think it’s really good for the university. I think it’s really good for the athletic department, and I think it’s the right thing to do strategically for Penn State moving forward,” Franklin said. “So I’m very, very happy.”
