Mitch Barnhart Ranked Most Important Person in the SEC

In the SEC it just means more. Does that mean Mitch Barnhart matters more than the league’s commissioner? At least one Southeastern Conference veteran thinks so.

Kentucky’s veteran athletic director has been at his post since 2002. He’s one of the longest-tenured ADs in the Power Five, second only to Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione.

When Barnhart arrived in Lexington from Oregon State, Kentucky was fresh off a 50th-place finish in the Directors’ Cup standings. The Cats just had their sixth-straight Top 20 finish, highlighted by last year’s all-time high at No. 9. The success on the field is also a testament to the changes in the facilities, as reflected on the south side of campus at the Barnhart Family Athletic Complex.

During his lengthy tenure Mitch Barnhart has served on the Men’s Basketball Selection Committee and the CFB Playoff Committee. Throughout the last two decades, another SEC veteran has kept a keene eye on Mitch Barnhart. Pat Dooley, a long-time columnist in Gainesville, ranked the 12 most important people in the SEC and the UK athletic director is No. 1.

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“He is the guy a lot of fans point to when it comes to being patient with coaches,” writes Dooley. “Barnhart has the ears of the other ADs and is a member of the College Football Playoff committee. So, stay on his good side.”

The rest of the rankings will make you appreciate even more where Mitch Barnhart falls on the pecking order.

Mitch Barnhart, Kentucky AD
Jimmy Sexton, Agent
Greg Sankey, SEC Commmissioner
Bobby Petrino, Texas A&M assistant
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
John Cohen, Auburn AD (former Barnhart pupil)
Tommy Rees, Alabama offensive coordinator
Kirby Smart, Georgia HC
Zac Selmon, Miss. State AD
Nick Saban, Alabama HC
Jayden Daniels, LSU QB
Billy Napier, Florida HC

Jimmy Sexton is probably the agent for half the people on this list, and Barnhart is still ranked higher? The math checks out. After all, the SEC will still be playing eight conference games in 2024.

[Dooley’s Dozen: 12 Most Important People in the SEC]