Mitch Barnhart weighs in on Kentucky coaching feud

Following John Calipari and Mark Stoops’ disagreement over the state of Kentucky athletics, UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart weighed in on the situation, noting that while he keeps conversations between his coaches “within the family,” he doesn’t believe Calipari’s quote about Kentucky being a “basketball school” was productive in terms of laying a foundation for what Barnhart is calleing generational leadership.

Calipari’s original comments were made because he believes his program is in need of a new basketball facility – even though the current Joe Craft Center is a state-of-the-art facility, per Barnhart. Program by program, Barnhart has helped put into place various facilities that make Kentucky a go-to school for recruits of all sports.

According to Barnhart, a lot of facility upgrades are in the works as of now, but basketball is not on that list currently. That doesn’t mean the Joe Craft Center won’t receive improvements and upgrades over time, but a complete remodeling isn’t necessary.

Meanwhile, the football program is one of the Power Five teams that doesn’t have an indoor practice facility. Instead, the Citrus Bowl champions practice in a field connected to the Joe Craft Center (a different Craft Center) next to the Kroger Field parking lot – something that would have been changed a long time ago if the football program had as much sway as basketball does.

Mark Stoops on John Calipari’s ‘basketball school’ comments: We won’t be derailed

The Big Blue Civil War has only just begun, it seems. Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops addressed the situation publicly for the first time since John Calipari’s comments that UK was a “basketball school.”

During a press conference Saturday afternoon, Stoops said that he’s “done” with the situation and has addressed it with his players, though he hasn’t talked to Calipari directly about the situation. Now, his number one focus is getting his team ready for the season opener on Sept. 3 and nothing will derail the Wildcats this late into the offseason, especially right in their own back yard.

Still, Stoops found a second to throw in a back-handed comment, “some may, but this program didn’t wake up on third base.” The football coach is seemingly referencing the basketball program’s blue-blood status, while UK football has been a historic SEC bottom-feeder.