Mitch Barnhart still "invigorated" (May not retire)

Kentucky15

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Mar 29, 2013
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I know this is the basketball board, and honestly, Barney has sucked with basketball also. 1 title in 23 years overseeing the basketball program is atrocious.

Football is even worse under his watch. Kent hasn’t even played in a conference championship in his 23 year tenure. That’s incompetence. He’ll, even Missouri has played in 2.
He’s been lowering the standards and it’s worked. He convinced the nation and a large portion of UK fans that we cannot do better than a citrus bowl. Then he locks in Mark Stoops to show just how amazing making that citrus bowl is. And everyone agrees, if we made a citrus bowl then Mark Stoops must be real deal. They go by the standards Mitch set.

It’s why he didn’t want Calipari here. Standards won’t be able to be lowered. Gillispie? Lowered. Retain Tubby? Lowered. Mikey Brey, who he wanted over Calipari? Lowered. They want to lower the expectations. It keep his job safe and allows them to focus on money rather than real expectations of a blue blood.

He’s the worst AD in history at Kentucky and possibly the conference if winning big is your goal. He wants no part of that. Too much to keep up and too expensive.
 
Jul 30, 2024
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It’s much different, but I feel like my grandmother did that a lot.

Satan! Get behind me! Jesus, take the wheel!
Agreed. Much different. My mamaw did that too —- she was of the Charismatic view and those types like to rebuke the devil a whole lot. I will say my mamaw never did that while praying to Christ though lol
 
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Vek96

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Jul 4, 2025
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He’s been lowering the standards and it’s worked. He convinced the nation and a large portion of UK fans that we cannot do better than a citrus bowl. Then he locks in Mark Stoops to show just how amazing making that citrus bowl is. And everyone agrees, if we made a citrus bowl then Mark Stoops must be real deal. They go by the standards Mitch set.

It’s why he didn’t want Calipari here. Standards won’t be able to be lowered. Gillispie? Lowered. Retain Tubby? Lowered. Mikey Brey, who he wanted over Calipari? Lowered. They want to lower the expectations. It keep his job safe and allows them to focus on money rather than real expectations of a blue blood.

He’s the worst AD in history at Kentucky and possibly the conference if winning big is your goal. He wants no part of that. Too much to keep up and too expensive.
Exactly right.
 
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Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
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JMI has been handling our stadium and arena stuff for 10 years, correct? So would they have been involved in the creation of the "Barnhart Family Athletic Complex" a couple years back? Not trying to be conspiratorial, just thinking out loud

Yes of course. This should have been a red flag to UK fans when the Ad thinks so much of himself that he slapping his name on our facilities. And you’re not being conspiratorial it’s out there for all to see now. Are the Barney’s paying for those naming rights.
 

Century Cat

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
17,997
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I have sent this e-mail to five different media members at four different outlets:

Hello, I am writing about concerns for UK Athletics, UKAA and the UK Board of Trustees, and I’m wondering if you or one of your colleagues sees potential cause for an investigation.

Lately there’s been a lot of discussion about JMI’s role in the NIL process, and more particularly, JMI’s familial connections with the UK Athletic Department. In addition, the University just survived a contractual showdown with Mark Stoops, after he agreed to waive his right to be paid his entire contract within 60 days of termination.

These issues revolve around the nucleus of Mitch Barnhart and his staff, and the UK Board of Trustees. I think there are a number of questions that are begging answers:

-Did the UK Board of Trustees ratify Stoops’s contract with its extraordinary 60-day payout of his entire contract? That was an arrangement that seemed to be completely unique in the world of college sports. That provision alone hamstrung UK and limited its choices while Stoops was employed. UK has an entire Athletic Department, an entire legal department and a Board of Trustees – did anyone advocate for UK’s interests in negotiating the contract with Stoops? To me, the inclusion of the 60 day buyout was, at best, gross negligence by all those who agreed to it; perhaps worse. The 60 day payment period was completely untethered to industry standards. It would go a long way if a few Trustees would answer some of these questions.

-UK’s contract with JMI is troublesome for at least several reasons:
  1. As some in the media have reported, the UK-JMI deal seems to be unique in that it limits NIL opportunities for student athletes, whereas other schools impose no such limitation.
-Did the BoT examine this arrangement?

-Did it ratify UK’s contract with JMI?

-Did the BoT consider whether the JMI contract puts UK at a competitive disadvantage against other schools?

-Since JMI’s primary duty is to maximize profits, is there not an inherent conflict of interest with the success of UK Athletics ? Obviously, the less that JMI has to pay student-athletes, the more money it makes.

-JMI has no direct interest in the success of UK’s athletic teams; its goal is to make money.

-Did anyone on the Board consider these issues?

(2) I understand that one of Barnhart’s top-ranking colleagues is married to a JMI Executive. This is patent nepotism and an inherent conflict of interest. Such matters can be overcome, provided that disclosure is made and examined by the governing Board, the BoT. Did UK’s Board of Trustees even review this relationship, and why and how did it conclude that the relationship is proper? The public deserves to know.

(3) A fifteen year contract with JMI seems much longer than industry standard. Has anyone questioned this? Why did Barnhart agree to such a long obligation? Again, did the Board review and approve it?

(4) Barnhart originally said in 2010 that he planned to retire the next year. He’s hinted at it several times since then, but has now been AD for 22+ years. Is there a reason he’s now so dug in? Whether or not there is actual impropriety, there certainly is the appearance of it. UK is a public university and the taxpayers deserve answers to these questions.

Thank you for reading. Whether or not the problem is impropriety or gross negligence, the public needs answers to these questions, and more.

***No real traction yet but awaiting several responses.

The more Barnhart digs in and sticks around, the more suspicious I get. Surely he has enough money to last, not to mention his ridiculous $800k "ambassador" job that he'll take when he does step down.
 
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HalHR2500

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Jan 28, 2002
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December 2026 he will give 6-month notice, leaves position July 1, 2027, with royal ambassador job kicking in for 2 years
 

dynastydreamuk

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Nov 18, 2010
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We could have been sooo much better at the two major sports that matter if mitch Made better decisions. He needs to go, like years and years ago.

Im sure there are things that I don't understand but if I was the AD... just some random dude, I would have never hired Billy G, Joker Phillips. ELZY, or Mark Pope for that matter... and I would have thought the JMI deal was a bad idea.... these are 5 easy major things that an average IQ leader should have took pause.

The Cal lifetime contract you can maybe argue...personally i would have called the bluff he isn't going to leave kentucky for ucla.

The Stoops contract is plain stupid. Why kentucky has the 3rd highest paid coach or something like that... and the 3rd highest buyout in history. I mean come on !!!

Let's not forget him sand bagging on alcohol sales and slow to the party on NIL and obviously eventually fn it up with JMI and assuming congress will pass scores act. Assuming congress will do anything is a super gamble.

Mitch barnhart should be booed at games. If I saw him at a game, i would boo him ... he has really hurt uk.
 
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Anon905031

Redshirt
Nov 22, 2025
14
18
3
Mitch is Destroying Kentucky basketball period . Mitch says he wont get into a bidding war with other teams !! Thats part of why we haven"t landed a single recruit. They start bidding and Kentucky walks a way because Mitch is not getting ito a bidding war !!! I believe if one team out bids you and you really want that recruit you bid higher thats the name of the game but Mitch wont do that because he sees it as getting into a bidding war !! Time for Mitch to go !!!
 

Century Cat

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
17,997
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Nobody seems to remember, Barnhart hired Brooks because he claimed that the UK job was so ******, he couldn't get anyone to take it.

That was BS then, and that set the tone for the rest of Barnhart's tenure.

Trace that line straight on through, in both fb and bb.
 
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Goingfor9

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Jan 27, 2003
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Nobody seems to remember, Barnhart hired Brooks because he claimed that the UK job was so ******, he couldn't get anyone to take it.

That was BS then, and that set the tone for the rest of Barnhart's tenure.

Trace that line straight on through, in both fb and bb.

Barnhart has spun the same narrative with our storied bb program. No one wants the job. Hey Barney maybe it’s you and your inability to sell.
 
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