BTI's Rants and Ramblings: The Mitch Barnhart Tenure

Say what you want about some of the recent missteps of Mitch Barnhart, his 16 years as the athletic director of the University of Kentucky have been a very successful tenure.  When the biggest issues you can pinpoint about the guy's almost two decades is what design is on the uniform and his stance on alcohol, you gotta feel lucky in most ways.  Hell, you could have had Tom Jurich and his personality and scandals.  Now, Mitch might not always have seem "connected" to the everyday fan like many would have hoped, but the products that have been put on the fields and courts in the past 16 years has been better in almost every sport than the 16 years that preceded it: MEN’S BASKETBALL 16 Years Before Barnhart: (409-130 Overall, 182-72 SEC) -8 SEC Championships -13 NCAA Tournament Berths -4 Final Fours (2 National Titles) 16 Years Since Barnhart: (446-130 Overall, 204-67 SEC) -8 SEC Championships -14 NCAA Tournament Berths -4 Final Fours (1 National Title) _______________________________________ FOOTBALL  16 Years Before Barnhart: (69-110-1 Overall, 32-84 SEC) -3 Bowl Bids -0 Bowl Wins 16 Years Since Barnhart: (83-109 Overall, 33-90 SEC) -7 Bowls Bids -3 Bowl Wins ______________________________________ WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 16 Years Before Barnhart: (264-233 Overall, 62-131 SEC) -0 SEC Championships -3 NCAA Tournament Berths 16 Years Since Barnhart: (338-189 Overall, 134-108 SEC) -1 SEC Championships -9 NCAA Tournament Berths _______________________________________ BASEBALL 16 Years Before Barnhart: (499-413-4 Overall, 185-253-2 SEC) -0 SEC Championships -2 NCAA Tournament Berths 16 Years Since Barnhart: (531-386-1 Overall, 206-266-1 SEC) -1 SEC Championship -5 NCAA Tournament Berths _____________________________________ SOFTBALL (1st season of program was 1997) 6 Years Before Barnhart: (140-226 Overall, 43-96 SEC) -0 SEC Championships -0 NCAA Tournament Berths 16 Years Since Barnhart: (460-409-1 Overall, 139-244 SEC) -0 SEC Championships -9 NCAA Tournament Berths (5 Super Regional Berths) -1 College World Series Berth ______________________________________ VOLLEYBALL 16 years Before Barnhart: (303-211 Overall, 110-72 SEC) -2 SEC Championships -5 NCAA Tournament Berths 16 Years Since Barnhart: (332-165 Overall, 192-94 SEC) -1 SEC Championships -12 NCAA Tournament Berths