You have taken Kentucky Athletics to a new and higher levels across the board. Job well done sir.
Thank you Mitch Barnhart!!!
- Thread starter etownblue25
- Start date
Mitch has certainly saved his own skin in the past couple of months.
Baseball has done its job for the most part (want to
See more for sure).
Stoops is the next coach who needs to step it up.
Baseball has done its job for the most part (want to
See more for sure).
Stoops is the next coach who needs to step it up.
Needs to hire an OC who won't bail after a year.
Coen, the 49ers guy, Coen again, now Bush Hamdan from Boise St. It's actually amazing we haven't had a season where we just bottom out and win 4 games.
Eh, selling. Mitch has done a lot of damage to our crown jewel although, the way he appeared to out maneuver Calipari was nice. At one time I gave him a 3 of 10 job performance, I’d say he’s moved into the 5 range (4.7). He’s made a ton of hires that extend well beyond bad. We don’t know about Pope yet, horrendous hires like Gillispie, hires that made no sense and everyone saw disaster coming like Joker. Let’s not even get into his contracts which appear to be some of the worst in the history of sports outside of some MLB deals. Even when we hired Calipari he wanted no part in that. Mitch is not concerned with winning at the highest levels where it counts. He’s more into the reputation of the athletic department.
I’ve always said because of this fact he’s more suited for a smaller conference program like Western than an SEC program like UK. Possibly Vandy, but not a university that has the top program in a sport while in the best conference.
But what I don’t think many comprehend (and won’t until they see future AD’s) is revenue streams have created a lot of what you’re seeing. He’s been the AD at Kentucky since 01…uh..that’s nearly the 90’s. Nobody thinks we should have outpaced at least Vandy for a NY6 bowl? First college World Series just happened. Some of the worst hires in our programs’ histories on his watch. All with modern SEC revenue steams and the nations top basketball program? This is it? And he didn’t want Calipari, I mean where would he have had us by now?
So I just can’t get on board with it. I have been a big UK baseball fan my entire life, went to my first game in the early 90’s vs. Indiana. I’m not really trying to complain. If you like Barnhart knock yourself out. I’m not going to get into a back and forth, I think what I posted and his resume stands for itself. If you’re in love with it then nothing has ever convinced you otherwise and I won’t be able to now.
I’ve always said because of this fact he’s more suited for a smaller conference program like Western than an SEC program like UK. Possibly Vandy, but not a university that has the top program in a sport while in the best conference.
But what I don’t think many comprehend (and won’t until they see future AD’s) is revenue streams have created a lot of what you’re seeing. He’s been the AD at Kentucky since 01…uh..that’s nearly the 90’s. Nobody thinks we should have outpaced at least Vandy for a NY6 bowl? First college World Series just happened. Some of the worst hires in our programs’ histories on his watch. All with modern SEC revenue steams and the nations top basketball program? This is it? And he didn’t want Calipari, I mean where would he have had us by now?
So I just can’t get on board with it. I have been a big UK baseball fan my entire life, went to my first game in the early 90’s vs. Indiana. I’m not really trying to complain. If you like Barnhart knock yourself out. I’m not going to get into a back and forth, I think what I posted and his resume stands for itself. If you’re in love with it then nothing has ever convinced you otherwise and I won’t be able to now.
Early season cupcakes save us from that
With baseball effectively ending the spring season it seems it would be fitting if Barney walked off into the sunset.
Literally the best season they've ever had. Stop with the for the most part stuff.
The only thing he's really done wrong was give Cal that contract. But he would have been crucified if he'd let Cal go, too.
Stoops already peaked at Kentucky. We will win 6-7 games, maybe 8 some years. You can't have his defensive/offensive identities and keep winning 10 games at Kentucky unless you have another power run game offensive line with a generational back.
Add joker and Billy g too
Billy G was a blessing in disguise. Had we hired Cal, we would've been put on probation for the Rose fiasco.
You don't get a pass for two of the worst hires in program history, for both major sports. Beyond that, he's done a pretty good job.
Yeah, with NIL and expanded SEC I expect the normal 7 and 5 type seasons to gravitate to 6 and 6 (if a 9th conference game is added). Once in a bluemoon season from 9 and 3 to 8 and 4.
To be fair, won't surprise me to see sec champ with a 10 and 2 regular season a lot of years.
I don't have a problem with the job Mitch is doing.
He was AD for the 2012 National Championship in Basketball and the 2011, 2014, and the 2015 Final Fours.
In Football he was the AD for two 10 win seasons. That is the best since the 1970's.
Womens softball has been to 15 straight tournament appearances including the 2014 world series appearance.
In 2020 the Womens Volleyball team won a National Title.
Now this year the baseball team is making it's first college world series appearance.
I'm sure there are more accomplishments but for team accomplishments this is pretty good.
Only negative was in Basketball Calipari should have won multiple National Titles and then tailed off after 2015. Besides that I have no issues with Mitch,
He was AD for the 2012 National Championship in Basketball and the 2011, 2014, and the 2015 Final Fours.
In Football he was the AD for two 10 win seasons. That is the best since the 1970's.
Womens softball has been to 15 straight tournament appearances including the 2014 world series appearance.
In 2020 the Womens Volleyball team won a National Title.
Now this year the baseball team is making it's first college world series appearance.
I'm sure there are more accomplishments but for team accomplishments this is pretty good.
Only negative was in Basketball Calipari should have won multiple National Titles and then tailed off after 2015. Besides that I have no issues with Mitch,
So no issue with the Joker, bcg and elzie hires?
No issue with lifetime contract?
Had he stuck withy them longer that would have been an issue. But he did right the ship in each case and hired a different coach.
Mitch has had a good year in 2024. Let him enjoy it. I am sure not every choice each of us has ever made has panned out. When you make the bucks and are in charge of a multi million dollar business (like SEC athletics at UK) then you get 2nd guessed each and every day. Good job Mitch getting out of the dead weight of Cal. Good job with the Pope Hire. Way to go Coach Nick. Getting us to Omaha. Now go do it another weekend or two and bring it home.
I’m with you. He’s pretty “mid” as the kids call it.
He does have an impressive AD tree with Rob Mullens, DeWayne Peevy, Greg Byrne, Mark Coyle, Scott Stricklin, Kevin Saal, etc. I particularly think Mullens would crush it here once Mitch hangs them up. Would take our program to the next level. Although I don’t envision him ever leaving Oregon because they’re literally Nike.
OK - I'll give you those, but they were 20ish years ago already.
I think Stoops has done well considering the competition in the SEC.
Kentucky has never been really relevant since Bear Bryant.
Every AD makes bad hires. Everyone who hires people for a living makes bad hires. It's the nature of the beast. And lets not forget that many people on this board were excited about Joker taking over for Brooks. I actually read comments that said Brooks has peaked, it's time to see what Joker can do. I wasn't one of those but don't act like most people thought Joker was a bad hire. Many were also excite by the BCG hire and thought he was the next up and coming coach. Shit happens when you hire people. No one is going to avoid making mistakes. Mitch is the best AD we have had and arguable one the best in country. If you look at how much out athletic program has improved since he took over, it's hard to argue otherwise. I hear the argument that SEC money has helped and that's true. But our athletic programs have improved probably more anyone else in the SEC and possible the country. If it's all about money, then everyone else should have improved as much as we did.
I think anytime an AD is at a school for 23 years, they are going to make a bad hire or 2. That’s just inevitable. I always use Jeremy Foley at UF as the example. Often referred to as the best AD on SEC history. He was the AD at UF from 1992 - 2016. That means he hired Zook, Strong, Muschamp and McElwain.
The question is, how quickly do you move on from those bad hires and is the next one a good one. Luckily, UK fired Joker and BCG relatively quick and hired Cal and Stoops.
Mitch’s bigger issues are contracts, PR with the fans and his conservative approach to the changing landscape of college athletics.
As for those that talk about his advantage of having all of this new revenue…every other school does too. It’s not like UK is the only school that got this major bump in revenue. UK didn’t all of a sudden get this advantage no other school got.
Mitch has done a solid job at UK. He’s not the most likeable guy in the public eye, but I would give him a B+ for his time at UK.
Hence I said I want to see more (ie win it all).
Don’t tell me to stop wanting the big prize for them.
He’s done ok. He’s certainly had some clunkier games he had no business having. We pay him well. He needs to kick it up a notch.
Last night and the last few weeks were fun but its college baseball. If for some reason Pope doesnt work out, Mitch will be remembered as the failure AD at UK.
NIL screwups
Stoops Contract
Football Stadium
Rupp Arena
Microwave Fans
Joker
BCG
not letting a kid back on football team, wrongly accused
a few, just off the top of my head
Curious what you mean with football stadium and Rupp? And if you’re talking about Tubman, I’m almost positive that was a judicial process through the university where Mitch had zero say. Correct me if I’m wrong in that.
Top to bottom Mitch has done great. Anything attached to cal and basketball will be looked at much differently no matter what. But across the board UK athletics has elevated under his watch.
Last sentence is blatantly false. Good grief!
He has done as well as any other AD. EVERY AD makes bad hires. Especially ones who have been at the same place over 20 years (a sign he actually is doing a good job), you do not keep such a high ranking job if you are not good at it. In most of the cases, the reason he made a bad hire was he made a good one before it and had to replace the good hire. Nobody is 100% in these situations, what he has done wrong, he made it for it.
Now he may not have the personality to please a lot of the fanbase, I think his personality causes him to get a LOT of unfair criticism. Another example of fans being arm chair know it all who have never made / or will make a mistake. Armchairing has a 100% winning %. Hindsight and all that.
Now he may not have the personality to please a lot of the fanbase, I think his personality causes him to get a LOT of unfair criticism. Another example of fans being arm chair know it all who have never made / or will make a mistake. Armchairing has a 100% winning %. Hindsight and all that.
We're a basketball school, you think Bama judges their AD on baseball?
really...? it's amazing how much that is brought up about things, it's always a nice excuse
Yeah, we need Cliff Hagan and CM Newton back, then there will be no bitching. Ha!
I'm not saying he hasn't made some mistakes (Cal's contract, Elzy was terrible, etc), but I don't know that I agree hiring Joker was such a terrible mistake at the time of his hire. In hindsight, sure he ended up being terrible, but what indicators were there before he was hired?
The program was responding well coming out of a brutal probation period, he appeared to be a promising OC, and he was a UK alumn who would likely not use UK as a stepping had he been successful.
Are people saying Joker should've been fired sooner? He was only the head coach for 3 seasons, so maybe a year sooner?
Give it a rest. Barnhart is a hall of fame AD
UK sports all across the board has never been better under his tutelage
Well, considering I was a conduct officer and Title IX advocate at a university for a number of years, I’m pretty familiar with the process. There was very little, if anything, the athletic department could do in that situation. IMO, conduct and Title IX offices have too much power to ruin someone’s career by the preponderance of evidence rules they follow.
