Sources - Penn State targeting Boston College AD Patrick Kraft to replace retiring Sandy Barbour

Penn State is targeting Boston College athletic director Patrick Kraft to become the school's next AD, sources told ESPN.

The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the week, sources told ESPN.

Kraft will replace Sandy Barbour, who announced her retirement earlier this year.

Kraft is a veteran athletic director in the Northeast with strong experience in football, as he'd overseen the programs at BC and Temple and also played football in the Big Ten at Indiana. After Barbour stepped down, Penn State football coach James Franklin termed the hire as «critical» for the athletic department and football program.

Kraft has spent nearly two years as the athletic director at Boston College, where his accomplishments included the hiring of basketball coach Earl Grant, securing a $15 million lead gift to help build a basketball practice facility and signing a long-term apparel contract with adidas and New Balance.

Most important for Penn State, Kraft's background is steeped in football experience. He forged a strong relationship with coach Jeff Hafley at Boston College over his first two seasons in Chestnut Hill.

Penn State fans will be more familiar with Kraft's work at Temple, which is located in nearby Philadelphia. As both an associate athletic director for two years and the athletic director starting in May 2015, he worked in lockstep with then-coach Matt Rhule to help build Temple into the American Athletic Conference champion in 2016. Rhule authored back-to-back 10-win seasons at Temple with Kraft as the athletic director and the school hosted ESPN GameDay in 2015.

Notably, Temple beat Penn State 27-10 to open the 2015 season. That was the school's first win over Penn State in 74 years.

Kraft's hires at Temple