@CoachRyanKY
(LEXINGTON)- When Mitch Barnhart’s tenure as the Athletic Director at the University of Kentucky comes to a conclusion, history may not look kindly on a leader that has given two crippling contracts to coaches. Not only are they bad contracts, they position the University in a “no win” scenario. It makes one wonder where the administrative mismanagement begins, or if priorities are in the correct places within the athletic department as a whole. Just after escaping what would have been nuclear fallout with John Calipari’s $33 million buyout, we find ourselves in the same situation. It’s like Deja vu all over again. Only this time, the stakes are higher. We are talking a modest working man’s steak compared to a Jeff Ruby’s filet. $44 million dollars is what would be owed to Mark Stoops.
The main concern I have from these decisions is Barnhart’s apperant inability to adapt to modern collegiate athletics. Long gone are the days of where the Coach really makes the program. Keep in mind — Kentucky basketball has won National Championships with FIVE different leaders at the helm. Contrary to what an old basketball coach would tell you, it is possible that a program is bigger than an individual. When it comes to football; the alignment between fan expectations, boosters, and university leadership appears a bit crooked. What I am saying is that this latest misstep with Stoops is not just an isolated incident, but a troubling pattern that leads me to question whether the right people are at the negotiating table when these discussions occur.
Kentucky football has been historically, well — shitty. Mark Stoops changed that narrative, I will give him credit for that. (He also won’t let you forget about it either when he speaks to the media.) Stoops transformed Kentucky from annual doormat of the conference to a team that garnered respect. Nick Saban once quipped that Kentucky was the most physical team Alabama played in a National Champioship season, and he was serious.
Sure, the guy deserved a pay day, but at extent? Has Mark Stoops really earned the right to be called a Top-Ten Paid Coach in the country? I don’t think so. The more troublesome part to me was shelling out this money and then getting trapped into a large buyout. Let Stoops walk, he almost did for A&M — and as we are seeing this off-season…..he may not be so keen to leave Lexington after all.
Barnhart’s defenders will point to his success in other programs at the university. He can be credited for needed facility upgrades, navigating the early stages of NIL, and maintaining a realitivly clean athletic department. These accomplishments, at least in my eyes, are beginning to become diminished. Do I think Barnhart needs to go? Not yet, but let’s be crystal clear — his leadership os under fire like never before. It is important he acts promptly and gives the Big Blue Nation a reason to get behind his guy for what so far looks to be yet another disappointing season.
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