Unbelievable! Krafty The Clown fired Franklin basically 1 year after he negotiated himself a huge raise & an 8-Year ironclad guarantee (link)

[JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws]

Here is a hotlink to the article:

https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...ates_disastrous_2026_season/s1_17392_44416604

It is outrageous that this self-absorbed empty-suit clown negotiates himself a massive pay raise and 8 year guarantee.... and then shortly thereafter fires Franklin because he was asking for additional funding for the program and a renegotiated contract after the making it to the Final Four of the College Football Playoffs in 2024???

We're now on the hook for paying Krafty The Clown $14 million to stop destroying our Football Program and Athletic Department??? This is the biggest hypocritical load of crap (and irresponsible management of The Universities assets) ever - just utterly ridiculous! The more you dig on precisely what has transpired the last 2 years regarding Kraft, the more revolting it gets. They gave this horses @$$ empty-suit a huge pay raise and a 8-year ironclad Guaranteed Contract worth $16 million in August 2024????? What precisely for? Rhoades (Kraft's first big hire after coming on board) has been an unmitigated disaster! The PSU BoT and President should be sued for gross mismanagement of PSU's resources - this is just ridiculous that you would completely unnecessarily sign Kraft to this kind of contract when he has done NOTHING to deserve it. Quite to the contrary, he has done nothing but destroy PSU's Athletic Department - and he is rewarded for this bs completely unnecessarily (where precisely was Kraft going to go if they told him to pound salt re: his contract demands - he had zero leverage)?

 

[s1uggo72]

Here is a hotlink to the article:

https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...ates_disastrous_2026_season/s1_17392_44416604

It is outrageous that this self-absorbed empty-suit clown negotiates himself a massive pay raise and 8 year guarantee.... and then shortly thereafter fires Franklin because he was asking for additional funding for the program and a renegotiated contract after the making it to the Final Four of the College Football Playoffs in 2024???

We're now on the hook for paying Krafty The Clown $14 million to stop destroying our Football Program and Athletic Department??? This is the biggest hypocritical load of crap (and irresponsible management of The Universities assets) ever - just utterly ridiculous! The more you dig on precisely what has transpired the last 2 years regarding Kraft, the more revolting it gets. They gave this horses @$$ empty-suit a huge pay raise and a 8-year ironclad Guaranteed Contract worth $16 million in August 2024????? What precisely for? Rhoades (Kraft's first big hire after coming on board) has been an unmitigated disaster! The PSU BoT and President should be sued for gross mismanagement of PSU's resources - this is just ridiculous that you would completely unnecessarily sign Kraft to this kind of contract when he has done NOTHING to deserve it. Quite to the contrary, he has done nothing but destroy PSU's Athletic Department - and he is rewarded for this bs completely unnecessarily (where precisely was Kraft going to go if they told him to pound salt re: his contract demands - he had zero leverage)?

or maybe they told him to fire CJF, and Kraft was smart enough to ask, 'what do I get?' cause if I do that and the replacement doesnt work out, they will want to fire me. So he got protection and fired CJF.

 

[Psumatt85]

or maybe they told him to fire CJF, and Kraft was smart enough to ask, 'what do I get?' cause if I do that and the replacement doesnt work out, they will want to fire me. So he got protection and fired CJF.

More likely, when in doubt, I go with Neeli, the board, and Kraft are incompetent. Some just more than others

 

[Ram20]

I will admit, I thought this guy was competent and I thought terminating Franklin was the right move at the time, but between the $700M renovation, befuddling coaching search, and his overall lack of performance across all sports....he is clearly an empty suit. I don't care to see him on the sidelines anymore, he should be in the suits begging for money to pave over his idiocy.

 

[JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws]

More likely, when in doubt, I go with Neeli, the board, and Kraft are incompetent. Some just more than others

Just nauseating to be honest. And Alumnus are supposed to support and fund this crap?

 

[84lion]

More likely, when in doubt, I go with Neeli, the board, and Kraft are incompetent. Some just more than others

Never attribute to incompetence that which might be explained by malice.

Put another way, some people make money by building, others make money by destroying.

 

[J.E.B]

Here is a hotlink to the article:

https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...ates_disastrous_2026_season/s1_17392_44416604

It is outrageous that this self-absorbed empty-suit clown negotiates himself a massive pay raise and 8 year guarantee.... and then shortly thereafter fires Franklin because he was asking for additional funding for the program and a renegotiated contract after the making it to the Final Four of the College Football Playoffs in 2024???

We're now on the hook for paying Krafty The Clown $14 million to stop destroying our Football Program and Athletic Department??? This is the biggest hypocritical load of crap (and irresponsible management of The Universities assets) ever - just utterly ridiculous! The more you dig on precisely what has transpired the last 2 years regarding Kraft, the more revolting it gets. They gave this horses @$$ empty-suit a huge pay raise and a 8-year ironclad Guaranteed Contract worth $16 million in August 2024????? What precisely for? Rhoades (Kraft's first big hire after coming on board) has been an unmitigated disaster! The PSU BoT and President should be sued for gross mismanagement of PSU's resources - this is just ridiculous that you would completely unnecessarily sign Kraft to this kind of contract when he has done NOTHING to deserve it. Quite to the contrary, he has done nothing but destroy PSU's Athletic Department - and he is rewarded for this bs completely unnecessarily (where precisely was Kraft going to go if they told him to pound salt re: his contract demands - he had zero leverage)?

He grabbed it while he was hot. Remember 2024-25 he was a finalist for AD of the year. Top 3! So he was rolling after 3 years. He heard how Franklin did it!

Then all the high hopes for several sports in 2025-26 ended in sub par performances, the Franklin firing and coaching search fiasco. All gone in 4 months… now he’s the villain.

Talk about penthouse to the outhouse in a year!

In the end Neeli hired him and gave him a pay increase. Not very smart especially with the cuts. She’s got some splaining to do!

 

[Chumboshifko1]

He grabbed it while he was hot. Remember 2024-25 he was a finalist for AD of the year. Top 3! So he was rolling after 3 years. He heard how Franklin did it!

Then all the high hopes for several sports in 2025-26 ended in sub par performances, the Franklin firing and coaching search fiasco. All gone in 4 months… now he’s the villain.

Talk about penthouse to the outhouse in a year!

In the end Neeli hired him and gave him a pay increase. Not very smart especially with the cuts. She’s got some splaining to do!

Look to the BoT.

 

[Catch1lion]

The Athletic from an article on PSU attendance concerns.-Despite the now-three-game losing streak, the frustration around Penn State football these days is focused more on Kraft, the school’s fourth-year athletic director, than Matt Campbell, the first-year head coach. To many fans, Kraft is the face of the rising cost of being a Penn State football fan, the person most responsible for a $700 million renovation and modernization of 66-year-old Beaver Stadium that led to an increase in ticket prices announced earlier this year.

 

[Bvillebaron]

or maybe they told him to fire CJF, and Kraft was smart enough to ask, 'what do I get?' cause if I do that and the replacement doesnt work out, they will want to fire me. So he got protection and fired CJF.

And maybe I’m the Easter Bunny.

 

[Catch1lion]

The article goes on to describe how Kraft haas misjudged the pocket depth of the fans, and what they want in a gameday experience (besides winning). This link is supposed to be free access.

 

[Ram20]

The article goes on to describe how Kraft haas misjudged the pocket depth of the fans, and what they want in a gameday experience (besides winning). This link is supposed to be free access.

It's an incisive article for "outsiders" but there was nothing in here you guys didn't know. Balancing fan sentiment, rising costs, weighing a stadium update....funding athletes in a culture that traditionally felt like the athletes were part of the community. Lot of fans getting gouged and having their loyalty tested. We know, and the author must know, all of this can be solved if we start putting a championship level team on the field. If we don't.....the house of cards falls down.

 

[JVP_Yahweh]

I'll be honest, I never really saw what others saw in Kraft. He went from being referred to as Dr Kraft to Krafty pretty quickly. He was pretty underwhelming prior to PSU and since he's been here can we honestly say he is better than Barbour or Joyner?

 

[Catch1lion]

 

[ChiTownLionPSU]

Did we need to renovate Beaver Stadium? Yes.

Did we need to go in a different direction from CJF? Yes.

Did PK secure a commitment from Sitake before the cookie Crumbl'd? Yes.

Did PK luck his way into Matt Campbell? Yes.

JMHO.

 

[LMTLION]

Did we need to renovate Beaver Stadium? Yes.

Did we need to go in a different direction from CJF? Yes.

Did PK secure a commitment from Sitake before the cookie Crumbl'd? Yes.

Did PK luck his way into Matt Campbell? Yes.

JMHO.

Some of the BYU players knew and were already coming with Sitake before the cookie crumbled. It was that far advanced, but PK secured a verbal rather than a written commitment and did not understand the power of the Mormon church’s ability to break a verbal commitment.
Campbell’s biggest issue is the shock of how poorly his players translated to the B1G and misunderstanding how difficult it would be for his defensive players who played in a 3-3-5 to adapt to the 4-2-5 scheme Lynn runs. They are fish out of the water. Neal, for example, was great in that scheme and totally unable to perform in this scheme.

 

[Marshall2323]

Did we need to renovate Beaver Stadium? Yes.

Did we need to go in a different direction from CJF? Yes.

Did PK secure a commitment from Sitake before the cookie Crumbl'd? Yes.

Did PK luck his way into Matt Campbell? Yes.

JMHO.

Could upgrades have been accomplished for 400 million. Of the 750 million what percentage is being spent on "upgrades" that the average fan will enjoy?
Moving on from CJF was fine. Openly disrespecting the roster and letting a #16 recruiting class twist in the wind....not necessary.
You fire your coach early because you either have a plan or a replacement waiting in the wings
If there could have been a worse fit for PSU than Campbell it was Sitake
A coaching change exploded into a rebuild because of one clown. After he realized Marcus Freeman and the like were laughing at him and collecting extensions, he should have given Terry Smith a 3 year 6 million per year deal with 2 years guaranteed. Easy to extend in the event of success, easy to get out of.

 

[Marshall2323]

Some of the BYU players knew and were already coming with Sitake before the cookie crumbled. It was that far advanced, but PK secured a verbal rather than a written commitment and did not understand the power of the Mormon church’s ability to break a verbal commitment.
Campbell’s biggest issue is the shock of how poorly his players translated to the B1G and misunderstanding how difficult it would be for his defensive players who played in a 3-3-5 to adapt to the 4-2-5 scheme Lynn runs. They are fish out of the water. Neal, for example, was great in that scheme and totally unable to perform in this scheme.

A Mormon coach and a roster populated by Mormon's playing in front of 114,000 alcohol fueled fans. What could go wrong?

 

[Psumatt85]

Just nauseating to be honest. And Alumnus are supposed to support and fund this crap?

Supporting them at this point is enabling

 

[Rocco3]

Here is a hotlink to the article:

https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...ates_disastrous_2026_season/s1_17392_44416604

It is outrageous that this self-absorbed empty-suit clown negotiates himself a massive pay raise and 8 year guarantee.... and then shortly thereafter fires Franklin because he was asking for additional funding for the program and a renegotiated contract after the making it to the Final Four of the College Football Playoffs in 2024???

We're now on the hook for paying Krafty The Clown $14 million to stop destroying our Football Program and Athletic Department??? This is the biggest hypocritical load of crap (and irresponsible management of The Universities assets) ever - just utterly ridiculous! The more you dig on precisely what has transpired the last 2 years regarding Kraft, the more revolting it gets. They gave this horses @$$ empty-suit a huge pay raise and a 8-year ironclad Guaranteed Contract worth $16 million in August 2024????? What precisely for? Rhoades (Kraft's first big hire after coming on board) has been an unmitigated disaster! The PSU BoT and President should be sued for gross mismanagement of PSU's resources - this is just ridiculous that you would completely unnecessarily sign Kraft to this kind of contract when he has done NOTHING to deserve it. Quite to the contrary, he has done nothing but destroy PSU's Athletic Department - and he is rewarded for this bs completely unnecessarily (where precisely was Kraft going to go if they told him to pound salt re: his contract demands - he had zero leverage)?

I'm glad they fired him so move on.

 

[Rocco3]

I will admit, I thought this guy was competent and I thought terminating Franklin was the right move at the time, but between the $700M renovation, befuddling coaching search, and his overall lack of performance across all sports....he is clearly an empty suit. I don't care to see him on the sidelines anymore, he should be in the suits begging for money to pave over his idiocy.

It was the right move it was 6 months too late!

 

[Rocco3]

And maybe I’m the Easter Bunny.

Well, are you?

 

[JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws]

Some of the BYU players knew and were already coming with Sitake before the cookie crumbled. It was that far advanced, but PK secured a verbal rather than a written commitment and did not understand the power of the Mormon church’s ability to break a verbal commitment.
Campbell’s biggest issue is the shock of how poorly his players translated to the B1G and misunderstanding how difficult it would be for his defensive players who played in a 3-3-5 to adapt to the 4-2-5 scheme Lynn runs. They are fish out of the water. Neal, for example, was great in that scheme and totally unable to perform in this scheme.

Krafty The Clown has decimated the program and turned us from a perennial contender for the 12-Team Playoff structure into a completely uncompetitive team just in time for the advent of the 24-Team Playoff structure! Think about what this a-hole has done - he turned us from a near sure thing playoff participant in a 24-team structure under Franklin into a completely uncompetitive bottom dweller with zero visibility as to when, or even if, we will ever make the doubled Playoff structure! Think about that.... Krafty The Clown is paying MORE $$$ for this dramatic of a downgrade in the product on the field - it's mindbogglingly un-freaking-believable!