Penn State AD gets $2.26M per year in new deal
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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft has received a contract extension that runs through June 30, 2032, and will pay him an average of $2.26 million per year over the next eight years, the school announced Monday.
Kraft, who was entering Year 3 of a five-year deal, will have the opportunity for a performance-based bonus of up to $350,000 annually if he reaches specific goals, including “for academic and competitive excellence,” according to the school.
The extension was approved by the Penn State board of trustees and its committee on equity and human resources. The vote was unanimous.
“Pat is an extraordinary leader who brings valuable insight and strategic direction to athletics and the university, with a focus on both athletic and academic success for Penn State’s more than 800 student-athletes,” Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement. “This new contract will help ensure Penn State continues to benefit from Pat’s leadership for years to come.”
According to a release, Penn State worked with consulting firm Segal to analyze Division I athletic directors’ compensation nationwide and determine a competitive salary.
Kraft joined Penn State from Boston College in July 2022. Under his leadership, Penn State has produced six individual NCAA champion student-athletes, 19 nationally ranked teams and the national champions in wrestling in 2023-24. In the 2022-23 season, Penn State recorded its highest Learfield Directors’ Cup finish since 2018-19, placing No. 15 in the ranking of school performance across sports.
Kraft created a mental health and wellness department within Penn State athletics and has invested significantly in nutrition, mental health support, recovery and travel programs. He led Penn State to a 93% graduation success rate, including 12 programs with 100% ratings, in the NCAA’s most recent report.
“I am deeply thankful to President Bendapudi and the Board of Trustees for their unwavering support of our intercollegiate athletics program and our leadership team,” Kraft said in a statement. “Penn State is a remarkable place, made so by its incredible people — our talented student-athletes, dedicated coaches and staff, passionate supporters and engaged community members. I am excited for us all to continue working together to elevate Penn State Athletics and the University as a whole. Betsy, our children, and I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Penn State and State College communities, and we cannot wait for what lies ahead.”
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.
Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.
O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.
Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.
In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.
Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.
Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.
The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.
LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.
Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.
Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.
Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.
The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.
That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
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