Pat Kraft: ‘No satisfaction’ for ‘relentless’ Penn State wrestling program

Cael Sanderson has led Penn State wrestling on such a sustained run of success that the winning can almost be taken for granted. Outside the walls of the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex, many already view the 2025 National Championship as the Nittany Lions‘ to lose. But there is no complacency inside Rec Hall for the three-time defending champions, says Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft.

On Wednesday, the Big Ten Today aired portions of its interview with Pat Kraft from Big Ten spring media days in May. Echoing the sentiments of Cael Sanderson, Kraft expressed that the Nittany Lions are not content, despite the success of the Penn State wrestling program over the last 15 years.

“Well, we’re not satisfied, Cael and the guys,” Kraft said. “Yes [we’re looking for ten individual National Champions], actually. I think they are relentless. It is one of the most remarkable programs I’ve ever been around. Cael and Casey [Cunningham] and Cody [Sanderson] and the staff; I mean how it operates is truly remarkable.

“All jokes aside, there is no satisfaction there. They got back after winning the National Championship and went right back in the weight room on Monday. There is a laser focus to continue to get better. I think that’s part of what we’re talking about, is that grind to constantly evolve and get better and better.

“And they are the epitome of that, and they don’t let anything get in the way. And they continue to do it in just such an amazing way. They’re like this all the time, and it is just kind of process-oriented. They’re just going to keep doing this and doing this and doing this.”

"It is one of the most remarkable programs I've ever been around."@GoPSUsports AD Pat Kraft discusses what makes @pennstateWREST, the winner of 11 of the last 13 NCAA titles, so successful. 👇#B1Gtoday x #B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/n9QEydlPDH

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) July 3, 2024

Penn State wrestling: Always looking forward

Not being satisfied with success is why Cael Sanderson has led the Nittany Lions to 12 of the last 14 team National Championships, with multiple individual champions every season during that run.

There is always a next step and new goal to work towards on the path to the top. This is partly why Carter Starocci decided to return and attempt to become the first wrestler ever to win five National Championships, thanks to the extra year of COVID eligibility.

This consistency is also part of why Cael Sanderson has always landed top recruits in the country. Not only do the Nittany Lions have No. 1 overall recruit Luke Lilledahl joining the program this upcoming season, but they also picked up four of the top seven overall prospects for the class. No other team has more than two wrestlers ranked inside the top 20 for the class of 2024.

While people may think the gap between Penn State wrestling and the rest of the field couldn’t get any bigger after setting the team total points (172.5) and winning margin (100) records during the 2024 NCAA Champions, that may not be the case.

The Nittany Lions have serious depth within the wrestling room and have wrestlers on the roster who will have to redshirt and possibly serve as a backup for a few years before cracking the starting lineup. While Pat Kraft may have been responding in jest when he said Penn State wanted a National Champion at all ten weight classes, Cael Sanderson isn’t recruiting like it.

Nittany Lions fans are witnessing history

© Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State wrestling may have already established itself as the most dominant program to ever compete in Happy Valley. Wrestling is tied for second with men’s gymnastics, each holding 12 total team National Championships. If Sanderson’s heavily favored squad wins again this upcoming season, it will move into a tie with fencing for the most National Championships ever won by a Penn State program.

There isn’t a reason to believe Sanderson can’t lead the program to 15, 20, or 25 National Championships. There are still records out there to be broken.  Maybe the next will be the 15 total team titles held by former Iowa coach Dan Gable, or the nine consecutive championships won by Gable’s Hawkeyes. The most notable record may be that no team has ever had more than five individual champions in a single NCAA Championships.

Ultimately, Sanderson may end up laying claim to them all.

In just about every sport, we talk about culture. While Cael Sanderson isn’t necessarily outspoken about it, it’s clear that he’s cultivated an excellent team culture both on and off the mat for years.

As a result, we have seen Penn State wrestling stand on the mountaintop for almost a decade. Now, culture will allow Sanderson and the Nittany Lions to remain there.

“I get goosebumps thinking about it,” Pat Kraft said of the program. “I mean, just watching them operate and then have the success. And they’re such a humble group. They understand what it takes, both on the mat and off the mat.”

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