Temple University Director of Athletics Patrick Kraft and six Temple alumni were recognized by Philadelphia Business Journal in its 2016 40 Under 40 list of top young business leaders. Honorees were chosen from more than 300 nominations.

In his third year at Temple, Kraft has helped transform the university’s Athletics Department while serving first as deputy director of athletics, and since May 2015, as the department’s leader. This honor follows Kraft being named among the 2016 Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40, for which he was recently profiled.  

“This has been an incredibly successful year for Temple, and though I am receiving the award, it has truly been a team effort,” Kraft said. “I must thank President Neil Theobald and my predecessor, executive vice president and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Clark. Without their support and faith in my abilities, none of this would be possible. I must also thank my exceptional staff for their hard work, which has enabled Temple Athletics to have such an incredibly amazing year.”

Kraft’s passion for the holistic development of student-athletes has led to exceptional achievements in the classroom, highlighted by record-setting academic performance, GPAs and graduation rates. Another area that has grown tremendously over the past year has been community service: Student-athlete service projects have doubled since the 2014–2015 academic year.

Kraft also oversaw the greatest season in Temple football’s history. The team recorded its best start in school history at 7–0 and its first national ranking since 1979. That success lured ESPN’s  College GameDay to Philadelphia for the team’s sold-out game against Notre Dame. The 2015 Temple football campaign tied the school record for wins and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth time in seven seasons.

Temple men’s basketball won the American Athletic Conference regular season title in 2015–2016, and the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in nine years. The women’s basketball team earned a second straight bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Other 40 Under 40 honorees with Temple affiliations include

• Dan Berger, LAW ’05, president of Berger Rental Communities;
• Joshua Bresler, DEN ’03, of Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters, a pediatric dental office;
• Courtney Coffman, FOX ’08, chief financial officer at Lower Bucks Hospital;
• Kristen Feden, LAW ’09, assistant district attorney in the Montgomery County Office of the District Attorney;
• Kelly Fisher, LAW ’11, partner at Wipfli LLP; and
• Jameel Rush, FOX ’07, director of organizational development at Day & Zimmermann.

View a slideshow of the full list.