Photo by: Ben Solomon
Kraft Relishing Opportunity To Shape BC's Momentum
June 09, 2020 | Boston College Athletics, #ForBoston Files
Temple's architect arrives at BC ready to add to already-surging Eagles.
Momentum is defined as the strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events. It often reflects positive or negative surges, especially in college athletics, and touches upon upslopes and downswings relative to local and national competitors and brands. It's the abstract energy around a discussion, known all too well in Boston College circles for its ability to constantly bend emotions on a weekly basis.
As the architect of Temple University's recent run of success, Patrick Kraft understands as well as anyone how momentum can shape a discussion. Identifying the idiosyncrasies is part of his job as an athletics director, and it's why he was happy enjoying the spoils of his work in Philadelphia.
That solitary conversation kept him on his toes throughout his tenure with the Owls, but there was still that competitive area in his psyche. He was happy, but he couldn't deny the thunderclap coming from the northeast direction when Boston College's position following the departure of Martin Jarmond to UCLA.
"Boston College has been the job for me," Kraft said. "It's so rare to have personal beliefs and a personal system of faith and family coincide with your professional life. (My family) was happy at Temple. We built it into a place that's wonderful, and the people are incredible. So our next move had to be really special."
On Monday afternoon, Father William P. Leahy, S.J. introduced Kraft as the next William V. Campbell Director of Athletics at Boston College.Â
"Boston College is the paradigm for college athletics," Kraft said. "(There are) dedicated student-athletes and incredible coaches with a passion for their student-athletes. There's a commitment to excellence while remaining committed to Jesuit values. These values guided my own transformation into a better son, brother, husband, father, and leader."
A native Chicagoan, Kraft's name is more easily recognizable for the Hoosier red in his bloodstream. He played football for Indiana and graduated in 2000 but remained in Bloomington through two graduate degrees, including a doctorate in sports management in 2008. It ran concurrently to his professional path and led to a Senior Assistant Director role until 2011.
That's when he traded his Hoosier candy stripe for his hometown Loyola University. The Ramblers hired him away from IU to become their Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director until 2015, when he earned his first director of athletics position with Temple.
Temple established Kraft as a fast-rising star in college athletics when the Owls won the American Athletic Conference championship in both football and men's basketball in 2016. Women's basketball followed in 2017 with its first national ranking in over a decade, and that year marked the end of a five-year drought for the NCAA Tournament.Â
It occurred on the backdrop of a crowded sports scene and a Philadelphia fan base long regarding Temple as an afterthought. In 2015, Temple beat Penn State on the gridiron for the first time since World War II to buoy a 7-0 start. It led ESPN's College GameDay crew to Lincoln Financial Field prior to a sell-out game against Notre Dame, an unprecedented feat a year prior to the Eagles' Super Bowl championship.
The success anchored a renaissance throughout the entire Temple athletics department. Kraft introduced new facilities for 11 programs and unveiled the New York City Angels Student-Athlete Lounge in 2018.Â
Donations dramatically increased and enabled initiatives within mental health and digital production space. The partnerships further created an entire digital media and television production department, which in turn spearheaded the creation of OwlsTV. The video services wing quickly improved fan interaction and engagement amidst an expansion of the school's entire digital footprint.
"Winning doesn't cure all," Kraft said, "but it helps. We have to look in the mirror and look at what we've done to engage people. Temple football was a blip on the radar. But then we beat Penn State, got College GameDay, and people's attention was on the rise. It's not easy, and it's a process. There's an advantage (in pro sports cities) because people understand sports."
He now hopes to bring that understanding to a school surging in increasingly-larger doses. Over the past three years, BC unveiled its Fish Field House practice facility and opened the Harrington Athletics Village to replace the outdated and obsolete Shea Field baseball/softball field and tailgate lot. In Brighton, a second phase resulted in the Pete Frates Center, which will overlook the new diamonds when construction is completed later this year.
In Conte Forum, new locker rooms enhanced men's and women's hockey in 2017, and the underground guts of the arena underwent a facelift to accommodate last year's launch of the ACC Network. It now supports a broadcast-ready digital environment capable of producing in-house telecasts worthy of network television.
"There's an incredible history here (in Boston)," Kraft said. "There's infrastructure and momentum. The facilities and foundation is there. That's the hardest part to get going, but now we're looking at elevating."
On the field, BC's success is in smaller doses even as it damages the perceived glass ceiling in the ACC. Women's basketball was an NCAA Tournament team before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the national tournament. Baseball likewise earned an ACC Championship semifinal appearance in 2018; many believe the Eagles deserved a national tournament berth for the second time in four years.
Volleyball set a program record for wins. Lacrosse went to three consecutive NCAA Championship games. Men's soccer returned to the tournament, and skiing developed a trailblazing qualifier.Â
Men's hockey was a No. 1 seed prior to the coronavirus cancellations, and women's hockey qualified for eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments with four straight conference regular season crowns.
This year, Field hockey came within a game of playing for the national championship.
"There is no doubt that we can compete in the ACC," he said. "We have to grind and compete. I wouldn't be here if there isn't an opportunity to go out and win championships at the highest level. That's how I'm wired, and those are the conversations I had at Temple. It's going to take everyone, the students, the alumni, the donors - to get us where I think we need to be."
Three years ago, Martin Jarmond stood at a Yawkey Center podium and discussed the calling to lead, inspire and inform the Boston College community through a shared responsibility. Football head coach Jeff Hafley echoed the sentiment at his introductory press conference when he implored Eagles everywhere to get in.
On Monday afternoon, Patrick Kraft matched the moment - albeit virtually. He spoke before coaches, the media, and assorted members of the Boston College community. When he finished, the clear momentum of BC's recent run very obviously hadn't ended.
In fact, it might only be getting started.
As the architect of Temple University's recent run of success, Patrick Kraft understands as well as anyone how momentum can shape a discussion. Identifying the idiosyncrasies is part of his job as an athletics director, and it's why he was happy enjoying the spoils of his work in Philadelphia.
That solitary conversation kept him on his toes throughout his tenure with the Owls, but there was still that competitive area in his psyche. He was happy, but he couldn't deny the thunderclap coming from the northeast direction when Boston College's position following the departure of Martin Jarmond to UCLA.
"Boston College has been the job for me," Kraft said. "It's so rare to have personal beliefs and a personal system of faith and family coincide with your professional life. (My family) was happy at Temple. We built it into a place that's wonderful, and the people are incredible. So our next move had to be really special."
On Monday afternoon, Father William P. Leahy, S.J. introduced Kraft as the next William V. Campbell Director of Athletics at Boston College.Â
"Boston College is the paradigm for college athletics," Kraft said. "(There are) dedicated student-athletes and incredible coaches with a passion for their student-athletes. There's a commitment to excellence while remaining committed to Jesuit values. These values guided my own transformation into a better son, brother, husband, father, and leader."
A native Chicagoan, Kraft's name is more easily recognizable for the Hoosier red in his bloodstream. He played football for Indiana and graduated in 2000 but remained in Bloomington through two graduate degrees, including a doctorate in sports management in 2008. It ran concurrently to his professional path and led to a Senior Assistant Director role until 2011.
That's when he traded his Hoosier candy stripe for his hometown Loyola University. The Ramblers hired him away from IU to become their Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director until 2015, when he earned his first director of athletics position with Temple.
Temple established Kraft as a fast-rising star in college athletics when the Owls won the American Athletic Conference championship in both football and men's basketball in 2016. Women's basketball followed in 2017 with its first national ranking in over a decade, and that year marked the end of a five-year drought for the NCAA Tournament.Â
It occurred on the backdrop of a crowded sports scene and a Philadelphia fan base long regarding Temple as an afterthought. In 2015, Temple beat Penn State on the gridiron for the first time since World War II to buoy a 7-0 start. It led ESPN's College GameDay crew to Lincoln Financial Field prior to a sell-out game against Notre Dame, an unprecedented feat a year prior to the Eagles' Super Bowl championship.
The success anchored a renaissance throughout the entire Temple athletics department. Kraft introduced new facilities for 11 programs and unveiled the New York City Angels Student-Athlete Lounge in 2018.Â
Donations dramatically increased and enabled initiatives within mental health and digital production space. The partnerships further created an entire digital media and television production department, which in turn spearheaded the creation of OwlsTV. The video services wing quickly improved fan interaction and engagement amidst an expansion of the school's entire digital footprint.
"Winning doesn't cure all," Kraft said, "but it helps. We have to look in the mirror and look at what we've done to engage people. Temple football was a blip on the radar. But then we beat Penn State, got College GameDay, and people's attention was on the rise. It's not easy, and it's a process. There's an advantage (in pro sports cities) because people understand sports."
He now hopes to bring that understanding to a school surging in increasingly-larger doses. Over the past three years, BC unveiled its Fish Field House practice facility and opened the Harrington Athletics Village to replace the outdated and obsolete Shea Field baseball/softball field and tailgate lot. In Brighton, a second phase resulted in the Pete Frates Center, which will overlook the new diamonds when construction is completed later this year.
In Conte Forum, new locker rooms enhanced men's and women's hockey in 2017, and the underground guts of the arena underwent a facelift to accommodate last year's launch of the ACC Network. It now supports a broadcast-ready digital environment capable of producing in-house telecasts worthy of network television.
"There's an incredible history here (in Boston)," Kraft said. "There's infrastructure and momentum. The facilities and foundation is there. That's the hardest part to get going, but now we're looking at elevating."
On the field, BC's success is in smaller doses even as it damages the perceived glass ceiling in the ACC. Women's basketball was an NCAA Tournament team before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the national tournament. Baseball likewise earned an ACC Championship semifinal appearance in 2018; many believe the Eagles deserved a national tournament berth for the second time in four years.
Volleyball set a program record for wins. Lacrosse went to three consecutive NCAA Championship games. Men's soccer returned to the tournament, and skiing developed a trailblazing qualifier.Â
Men's hockey was a No. 1 seed prior to the coronavirus cancellations, and women's hockey qualified for eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments with four straight conference regular season crowns.
This year, Field hockey came within a game of playing for the national championship.
"There is no doubt that we can compete in the ACC," he said. "We have to grind and compete. I wouldn't be here if there isn't an opportunity to go out and win championships at the highest level. That's how I'm wired, and those are the conversations I had at Temple. It's going to take everyone, the students, the alumni, the donors - to get us where I think we need to be."
Three years ago, Martin Jarmond stood at a Yawkey Center podium and discussed the calling to lead, inspire and inform the Boston College community through a shared responsibility. Football head coach Jeff Hafley echoed the sentiment at his introductory press conference when he implored Eagles everywhere to get in.
On Monday afternoon, Patrick Kraft matched the moment - albeit virtually. He spoke before coaches, the media, and assorted members of the Boston College community. When he finished, the clear momentum of BC's recent run very obviously hadn't ended.
In fact, it might only be getting started.
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