Breaking: Mitch Barnhart to retire

colonelcat78

Senior
Oct 9, 2009
561
929
91
-Calipari lifetime contract
-Stoop's contract
-Swim team scandal
-Joker Phillips
-BCG
-Mark Pope
-JMI
-Dragging feet when NIL first started
-Destroying our logos and uniforms/brand, not just for basketball, either.

I mean hey, the rifle team was good, and Volleyball got a title. And IIRC, women's basketball was pretty good, I guess.
Downsizing venues.
 

Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
16,064
2,851
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-Calipari lifetime contract
-Stoop's contract
-Swim team scandal
-Joker Phillips
-BCG
-Mark Pope
-JMI
-Dragging feet when NIL first started
-Destroying our logos and uniforms/brand, not just for basketball, either.

I mean hey, the rifle team was good, and Volleyball got a title. And IIRC, women's basketball was pretty good, I guess.
How about naming the sports complex for himself? A true sign of a narcissist.
 

Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
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Do not allow him to handpick his replacement! An outside hire is desperately needed!
We need to hire a blue blooded Kentuckian. A lifetime UK fan. There are plenty who can do a great job. I mean Barney was going for the player UK fan angle with the fb and bb picks. That’s the wrong level to do that. It’s his and the prez that need to be homegrown guys.
 

wccat

All-American
Apr 8, 2009
5,299
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I don't care if they are from Kentucky, played at Kentucky, coached at Kentucky, worked at UK. Hire the best person. We want players to be from Kentucky...no offense but Trent Noah is not the answer. Some want a HC or assistant coach from Kentucky....how would Pelphrey for example make us better. Go out and get the best coaches, players, AD period.
 

HogCoyote

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2013
1,046
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He retired from making intelligent, creative, and productive decisions about 12 years ago.

All he's doing now is physically getting out of the way. Not that I won't take it. Good riddance. He's set the program back a couple decades with his weak, cowardly and uncreative thinking.
Looks like all he's doing is retiring from taking the blame since he's taking a new role and will likely be hand selecting the new lightning rod and giving the new AD their marching orders.
 
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Feb 23, 2017
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That was before the JMI deal. How much have sleeping spent after? I’ll help you out, it’s 0.
So we had 22 million, but now we don't have 22 million because JMI, who has well above that but won't give out deals, but those deals would actually help JMI make more money.

And we can't get anyone to committ, which we also didn't get anyone good with the 22 million and Pope has never been a good recruiter, but it's really JMIs fault.

Canadian Lol GIF
 

Zuma75

All-Conference
Mar 19, 2017
885
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If it's Hill like what's been suggested we are screwed!
I can't help but think the timing of this wan't Mitch's decision or preference, and that he was getting heat from powerful advocates for the basketball progam. Everybody can see where it has been headed under his leadership:

Animated GIF
 
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will1976

All-Conference
Dec 10, 2003
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Time to give Dewayne a call. 👀
 

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ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
23,902
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Well it seems unanimous. If the board and many other UK fans are close to 100%celebrating… it wasn’t time.. it was past time.
Exactly. It’s hard to get this fanbase to totally agree on anything. I think a certain large part of BBN hangs on wayyyyy too long to the idea of keeping people (Cal, Stoops, Pope, Barney). When even those want you gone then it should have happened 2-4 years sooner.
 

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,060
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He retired from making intelligent, creative, and productive decisions about 12 years ago.

All he's doing now is physically getting out of the way. Not that I won't take it. Good riddance. He's set the program back a couple decades with his weak, cowardly and uncreative thinking.
Imagine if he had gotten his way with stealing the Baylor coach. I fear we'd have been worse than we are now with Pope. Baylor is a bonfire.
 

Snarks

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Jan 31, 2005
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We need to hire a blue blooded Kentuckian. A lifetime UK fan. There are plenty who can do a great job. I mean Barney was going for the player UK fan angle with the fb and bb picks. That’s the wrong level to do that. It’s his and the prez that need to be homegrown guys.
Why? You probably think Trent Noah should start too. Plenty of well qualified people with zero connection to Kentucky.

We already hired Pope just because he played here and so far that’s been far from a home run.
 

AJG-15

All-Conference
Apr 8, 2024
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Mitch Barnhart is retiring as the school’s athletic director in June , according to UK President Eli Capilouto .

“After thoughtful discussions, I am gratified that he has agreed to stay on and write another new and exciting chapter,” Capilouto said. “Mitch will be the first executive-in-residence of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative. This initiative will be part of a workforce effort that I mentioned in my remarks recently to the Board of Trustees and that I will be announcing more details about in the coming weeks.”


“College athletics is undergoing a dramatic series of changes. We need people – from sports administration, to marketing, from philanthropy to academic support and mental and physical health – ready for leadership.”

Mitch is distinctly equipped to help us think about the future of intercollegiate sports. I am excited he accepted my offer to take on this new role.

Hmmmm… after reading this I am not as enthusiastic. That means Capilouto is at fault too for going along with this Mitch continuation in “ new role” joke ……

all they are doing is recycling folks around with probably same or worse results…when they are going to have Mitch in charge to pick the new AD….

meanwhile , Mitch , Capi will keep making millions on UK and on taxpayers …
 
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Artlaibesghost

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Nov 30, 2022
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Just sayin
 

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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,884
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Have to wonder if the master plan here isn't to sort of clean house at the management level. Get the new AD and GM in place. Why have Mitch make the GM hire if he was gonna be gone in a few years? Wondering if someone didn't tap his shoulder this week.

Also, after some thinking, Pope can't make the GM hire. I know for Duke, that GM is under Scheyer.. but Pope might very well be gone this time next year, so I don't want HIS guy here. I think you have to get the AD in place, who has an idea for GM, and that position would sit above Pope. And then, when the time comes to move on from Pope, our GM can go get HIS guy.. and that will make the hiring process go much better: having a GM in place to handle NIL and present this job like it's the top5 job it's supposed to be (which it was not when we hired Pope).
 

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
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I actually think Mitch is one of the best AD's in the country overall. He's well respected in his profession and did a lot of good things here.

Multiple things can be true at once. He had some massive blunders along the way too. He's definitely a horrible negotiator and he allowed a couple agents to back the program into a corner. Billy was a disaster, his relationship with Cal was a disaster, the stoops and cal contracts were very bad for the programs, the jury is still out on Pope but it's looking like a rash hire. This whole JMI thing has pretty bad optics as well. These are all events that will captivate any fanbase,

I do suspect he will be replaced by an understudy so I hope everyone is ready for that.
Dude lol... I can't tell if you're serious saying he is one of the best ADs in the country then next paragraph pointing out why he has been horrible lol. Nice troll job

Others seem to be backhand slapping mitch as well.

That said.

I actually think Mitch has been awesome .... nobody knew Billy had an alcohol problem and he had just beat pitino in the tournament so that was a good hire...

And we all know Cal was going to leave Camelot where he was getting highest pay for UCLA where they sell out every game like us...so the lifetime deal was crucial.

Joker Phillips hire was a good risk to reward...no head coach experience but we probably didnt pay him much and he played for us.

Similar Mark Pope hire, he wasn't a big name and resume lacking but I dont think we are paying him much either, so its a good deal.
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,583
68,240
113
-Calipari lifetime contract
-Stoop's contract
-Swim team scandal
-Joker Phillips
-BCG
-Mark Pope
-JMI
-Dragging feet when NIL first started
-Destroying our logos and uniforms/brand, not just for basketball, either.

I mean hey, the rifle team was good, and Volleyball got a title. And IIRC, women's basketball was pretty good, I guess.
Forgot to add....

-The cheer scandal
Saying this after Stoops sucked out loud


"“It’s not a mistake our coaches took us to eight straight bowl games, and we’ve won ten games in two different seasons,” Barnhart said. “This isn’t a staff that doesn’t know how to win… we’ve had a set of circumstances that have not served us well the last couple of years, and we’ve got to find our way back.”"

Who could forget this as well:

 

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,340
14,927
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So we had 22 million, but now we don't have 22 million because JMI, who has well above that but won't give out deals, but those deals would actually help JMI make more money.

And we can't get anyone to committ, which we also didn't get anyone good with the 22 million and Pope has never been a good recruiter, but it's really JMIs fault.

Canadian Lol GIF
Point to where I said Pope was a good recruiter
 

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
23,902
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Hire tom jurich
They’d never do it but I wouldn’t be mad at that. He atleast has balls and will make the big hire regardless of what people think.
It's gonna be Marc Hill. Mitch was here for so long, that he sat up a good ole boy network.
BBN should stop donating to UK if it is. I mean absolutely bleed them dry.
Also, don’t forget Mitch will still be around for 24 months as an assistant to the president. He’s gotta collect his final $1.6mil parting gift!

Anyone who thinks Mitch won’t select his replacement is crazy.
Yep. He’s not but a self serving SOB. His “good Christian man” act is just that, an act.
Pope will probably benefit if this means the JMI shackles come off
Sadly that deal stays in place. They’d have to change the deal for that to happen.
Strickland is cooking in Florida with at least that Golden hire then he just made the Sumrall hire for football.
What I wouldn’t give to have Strickland, Golden and Sumrall here. I’d kill for that.
They need the boot in the biggest of ways... Even though it does seem like Stein is having no problem getting recruits and JMI is attached to the football program too.
Football isn’t recruiting the same type players as basketball.
Time to give Dewayne a call. 👀
Absolutely hell no. DePaul has sucked *** since he’s been there.
 
Nov 18, 2025
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If true, a significant, material positive step in right direction for UK Athletics and Basketball.

Been calling for his resignation or firing since Cal was here.

Timing of announcement is very interesting and maybe telling. A lot of time to evaluate personnel prior to end of basketball season.

Last time I posted on this topic of firing Mitch and a potential replacement, someone thought there was an internal candidate Mitch was mentoring to eventually replace him.

IF UK trustees are smart, which is real question, I hope they focus on external hire. The Mitch experience needs to be blown up, razed and start from scratch with Zero legacy and influence of Mitch, his failed hires and his negligent failures.
 
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