Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft is facing renewed scrutiny after leaked audio surfaced Thursday of him addressing football players amid the program’s prolonged, 54-day coaching search.
Kraft was already under pressure earlier in the week after failing to land his reported top target, BYU coach Kalani Sitake. The leaked recording of what seems to snippets of a meeting has further caused tension around the program.
It's important to note: Pennsylvania is a two-party consent state for records, meaning the person who obtained and released the audio may have committed a felony under state laws.
In the clip posted by Dead Air Sports, Kraft stresses the stakes of the coaching hire, telling players he would “be fired” if he chose the wrong candidate, adding, “How could you f- up Penn State?” He also said he dismissed James Franklin to avoid “settling for second best,” while indicating interim coach Terry Smith was unlikely to get the permanent job despite finishing the season on a three-game win streak.
Kraft also criticized the quality of several recruits who followed Franklin to Virginia Tech, took a few jabs at Oregon, Ohio State, and Michigan, along with acknowledging the challenges of recruiting to State College. He urged the need for a more aggressive NIL strategy, while noting Penn State’s roster is “top four” nationally in player compensation. Though he questioned how Franklin allocated those funds.
Players raised concerns about development, playing time for younger talent and wide receiver coaching. Kraft agreed the program must change its approach.
While the comments themselves were not overly damaging, their leak has intensified the pressure on Kraft as Penn State continues its coaching search, with Iowa State’s Matt Campbell emerging as the latest focus.
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