Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticizes Mitch Barnhart’s new role, salary at UK
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is speaking out critically of UK’s new role for retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart.
Ahead of the upcoming UK Board of Trustees meeting, Beshear called out recent university moves and decisions. The governor focused on the new post-retirement role for Barnhart, as well as the university’s next law school dean. Without naming Barnhart, Beshear wrote, “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties…” On UK matters in general, the governor wrote, “I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky.”
A statement from Gov. Beshear. pic.twitter.com/DgoI8NjfGO
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) April 21, 2026
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In early March, Kentucky announced that Barnhart was retiring from his role as athletic director in June. Barnhart is set to remain with the university’s athletic department in a new role as executive-in-residence of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative. The position comes with a reported salary of approximately $1 million ($950,000), as Beshear referenced.
Barnhart’s departure from the AD position came after the dismissal of former Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops, who was under contract for a $37.7 million buyout. The buyout was negotiated from a lump sum payment to $3.94 million paid within 15 days and annual payments of $6.75 million through April 2031, per the Lexington Herald Leader. Barnhart also faced criticism for the up-and-down first two seasons of Mark Pope’s tenure as the Kentucky basketball coach.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
