Yahoo News Sources: Temple's Pat Kraft agrees to become new athletic director at Boston College
Temple athletic director Pat Kraft has agreed to become the new athletic director at Boston College, sources told Yahoo Sports. He’s agreed to a five-year contract with the school, sources said.
Kraft will replace Martin Jarmond, who left Boston College for UCLA nearly two weeks ago. He has been the favorite for the job since it opened, with his experience shepherding Temple’s football program to become a perennial bowl team and conference title contender his most attractive quality.
With BC having significantly increased its investment in football since the hiring of first-year coach Jeff Hafley, BC was in search of an administrator with experience in maximizing a football program.
Boston College also valued Kraft’s experience as a sitting athletic director in a similar big-city market in the Northeast. Kraft brings strong football experience, as he played at Indiana and was in lockstep with former Temple coach Matt Rhule as the program experienced unprecedented success.
During Kraft’s time at Temple, the football program won its first conference championship since 1967 and won 20 games over a two-year span for the first time in school history. Temple also appeared in bowl games in four consecutive seasons. Among the improvements in Temple athletics under Kraft include a 75 percent fundraising increases over a four-year span, significant gains in attendance and a partnership with Under Armour.
Kraft built a strong partnership with former Temple coaches Rhule and Geoff Collins while they were in Philadelphia. He’s especially close to Rhule, who left for Baylor and has since become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Kraft hired both Collins, now the head coach at Georgia Tech, and current Temple coach Rod Carey during his five-year tenure at Temple. Carey went 8-5 in his debut season at Temple in 2019.
Kraft’s background also brings a Jesuit tie to Boston College. He served as the executive senior associate athletics director at Loyola University Chicago from 2011-13. Kraft also worked on the senior staff at Indiana, where he holds three degrees, including a doctorate in sports management.
More from Yahoo Sports:
