Penn State AD Pat Kraft apologizes for leaked NSFW video criticizing Big Ten rivals

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft issued an apology on Monday after a leaked internal video of him speaking to players went public. The audio ignited controversy during an already tense coaching search, one that ended with the Nittany Lions choosing Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as their guy. 

“What I will tell you about that is that I’m embarrassed. I apologize to anybody that I may have offended with that video that leaked,” Kraft said, via ESPN’s Max Olson. The timing of the leak only intensified scrutiny, as Kraft had just missed on one of Penn State’s top targets in Kalani Sitake, adding pressure to land the right replacement for James Franklin.

The leaked audio, which Jeff Hauser of The Sporting News noted may have been illegally recorded, as Pennsylvania is a two-party consent state, captured Kraft delivering blunt, NSFW remarks about the urgency of the coaching hire. In the clip posted by Dead Air Sports, Kraft said he would “be fired” if he chose the wrong candidate and questioned, “How could you f— up Penn State?” 

He also made candid remarks about Franklin’s tenure, stating he fired him to avoid “settling for second best,” and suggested interim coach Terry Smith was unlikely to receive the full-time role despite finishing the campaign on a win streak. Kraft additionally took jabs at Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan, critiquing recruits who followed Franklin to Virginia Tech, as well.

Pat Kraft, Matt Campbell aim to build Penn State into a consistent championship contender

Moreover, players in the meeting voiced concerns about a number of factors in the meantime, ranging from development to coaching evaluations and opportunities for younger talent for the Nittany Lions. Those issues, Kraft appeared, to agree must be addressed, and now he’ll work to ensure they are. 

He also emphasized that Penn State’s NIL pool ranks “top four” nationally but questioned how Franklin distributed those resources, while conceding there’s unique challenges when recruiting at Penn State. Though the substance of his comments wasn’t catastrophic, the public exposure of such internal frustrations created discomfort within the program and fueled national reaction.

Ultimately, Kraft managed to steady the search by landing Campbell as the program’s next head coach, a widely praised choice given Campbell’s consistency and player-development success. But the episode leaves Kraft with lingering fallout and raised eyebrows across the Big Ten, marking an unsteady chapter at a critical moment for Penn State football.