I agree that Barnhart appears to have been a really good athletic director for UK in other ways. But in my opinion, the “lifetime” contracts were a terrible decision even in the moment, not just in hindsight. They still are whether your name is Calipari, Stoops or Saban – or Pope. Agreeing to this was/is a very short-sighted and emotionally driven decision – something one might expect of a jock-turned-athletic-director of the past, but not acceptable for someone being paid seven figures to run a huge college sports department today. You have to be smarter and have more foresight than that.
Pay a premium currently if necessary, or figure out other inducements that make a coach want to stay. But to tie your hands long-term like that is an obvious mistake regardless of how “hot” a coach is or his threat to leave for another program.
