“Shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Mitch Barnhart didn't go into the NCAA Tournament planning on a coaching change, and as disappointed as he was by the loss, he didn't go into the weekend expecting to fire John Calipari, either. Even if he wanted to, the department just didn't have $33 million to throw away, certainly not with so much tied up to other projects and long-term commitments. Just made it a non-starter.
And then the backlash continued to build into the weekend, specifically on the boosters' side. Loud and important voices expressed their displeasure with the current trajectory of the program under Coach Cal and demanded change, many putting their money where their mouths are in hopes of forcing Barnhart's hand. The pressure was very real and it opened the door to a reevaluation where questions of who could be a clear upgrade and how much would it cost were asked. At the end of the day, there just wasn't a guy Barnhart felt could do this job better than Calipari who -- and this was the big one -- also wouldn't do more harm than good money-wise for the entire department. Because it wasn't just the $33 million buyout, it was also buying out the replacement, paying that coach a top-dollar salary, then building out their staff with top-dollar assistants. Without being absolutely certain you had the guy in hand with confidence Calipari couldn't do this anymore, they felt it would be financially irresponsible to pay him to simply go away when those dollars could be better used elsewhere.
But it was considered, probably for the first time since he arrived here. And it's something Barnhart knows he needs to monitor moving forward considering he signed off on the deal to begin with. At the end of the day, those financial concerns fall back on him, and he knows that.”
And then the backlash continued to build into the weekend, specifically on the boosters' side. Loud and important voices expressed their displeasure with the current trajectory of the program under Coach Cal and demanded change, many putting their money where their mouths are in hopes of forcing Barnhart's hand. The pressure was very real and it opened the door to a reevaluation where questions of who could be a clear upgrade and how much would it cost were asked. At the end of the day, there just wasn't a guy Barnhart felt could do this job better than Calipari who -- and this was the big one -- also wouldn't do more harm than good money-wise for the entire department. Because it wasn't just the $33 million buyout, it was also buying out the replacement, paying that coach a top-dollar salary, then building out their staff with top-dollar assistants. Without being absolutely certain you had the guy in hand with confidence Calipari couldn't do this anymore, they felt it would be financially irresponsible to pay him to simply go away when those dollars could be better used elsewhere.
But it was considered, probably for the first time since he arrived here. And it's something Barnhart knows he needs to monitor moving forward considering he signed off on the deal to begin with. At the end of the day, those financial concerns fall back on him, and he knows that.”
