McShay: Rift Between Jimmy Sexton and Pat Kraft Slowing Penn State Coaching Search

Could a conflict between a powerful sports agent and Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft be the reason PSU still hasn’t wrapped up its coaching search?

Former ESPN analyst and current host of The McShay Show, Todd McShay, believes it may be playing a significant role.

The agent in question is CAA’s Jimmy Sexton, one of the most influential figures in college football’s coaching representation.

Sexton, who operates his branch of CAA’s talent empire out of Memphis, represents many of the sport’s top coaches—including former Penn State head coach James Franklin.

According to McShay, Sexton was displeased with Kraft’s decision to fire Franklin Oct. 12 following the loss to Northwestern.

Penn State Fires James Franklin

That frustration, McShay suggests, may be why Kraft has struggled to gain traction with top coaching targets.

“Jimmy Sexton, as I mentioned, is the most powerful man in college sports and is orchestrating a lot of this stuff,” McShay said.

McShay added that Sexton did not appreciate the abrupt nature of Franklin’s dismissal.

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“I mentioned James Franklin is a client of his, right? It left a bad taste in the mouth of Jimmy Sexton,” McShay said. “Not a good idea.”

McShay went onto say that athletic directors often need to stay aligned with Sexton given his influence, and that may not have happened here.

He also referenced tensions surrounding Penn State’s stadium debt, brand negotiations, and communication issues involving Kraft, Franklin, and outside stakeholders issues that, he claims, contributed to a breakdown in relationships.

McShay believes this alleged feud explains why Penn State didn’t move quickly Sunday while schools like LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida and Ole Miss filled their vacancies.

One notable candidate, James Madison head coach Bob Chesney, was hired by UCLA Monday (the deal still isn’t official).

“Chesney was a Sexton client… there might have been a flight where Kraft was called mid-flight to go see Chesney, and (Sexton) told him, ‘Let’s not do that. Chesney is going to UCLA.’”

McShay compared Sexton’s influence to that of baseball super-agent Scott Boras. Time will tell whether McShay’s report proves accurate and whether Sexton and Kraft can ultimately mend their differences.

Stayed tuned for further updates on the Penn State coaching search.