Mitch Barnhart told Jon Hale of the Lexington Herald that UK football is working through an adjustment process. (Larry Vaught Photo)
Mitch Barnhart certainly doesn’t sound like he’s contemplating a football coaching change at Kentucky.
The UK athletics director spoke to Lexington Herald-Leader UK beat writer Jon Hale after Tuesday’s Champions Blue board of governors meeting and said “we want to work through it” when asked about UK coach Mark Stoops, who is 6-11 in the last two seasons.
“We’ve worked through these things before. I think if people look at the history, what we’ve done in Kentucky, we’ve always found our way through. We’ve worked through difficult moments,” Barnhart told Hale.
“If everyone will reflect on the program that (Stoops) inherited and where he took us for eight straight years. Then the changes in the world of college athletics occurred, and it was a struggle for us for a couple of years just to try and find our way. And so that middle part, everyone was pretty much on board, and everyone was fine, and now we’re having to adjust to some changes in college athletics and work our way through it.”
True. Stoops was magnificent at times and had 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021 but it has been a downward trend the last four years. Going into Saturday night’s home game with Texas, UK’s offense ranks 111th nationally with 331.6 yards per game. The Cats have not scored more than two offensive touchdowns in any game the last two seasons. Now even the defense is struggling and ranks 109th nationally in yards allowed per game at 402.
Those are not winning numbers and the offense for the most part has struggled most years under Stoops no matter who was the offensive coordinator or quarterback. Barnhart told Hale that he understood the “angst” about the program and knows fans want “those celebratory moments” that have been missing recently.
Barnhart admitted he could not make promises about the program’s future other than Stoops is “working hard” daily.
“We can play our hearts out and go and have one tough moment that goes against you in a game, and all of a sudden you find yourself with a loss that you didn’t want,” Barnhart said to Hale.
True but Kentucky has not lost many games because of “one tough moment” that I can remember. Instead, it has been because of a lack of offense, missed tackles or mental mistakes by players — and coaches. I also don’t think fans want to hear Barnhart talk about UK giving effort but still losing.
Kentucky would have to pay Stoops $38 million within 60 days of firing him if a coaching change is made, one reason many anticipate that Barnhart will not opt for a new coach and new start for UK football. And there is no reason to think Stoops would take a reduced buyout.
17 Responses
In his article on C3 this morning, Barney pretty much admitted that UK was dragging its feet with NIL. Why do we even pay this guy a salary? Secondly he bragged about Stoops player development. Name a successful QB that he developed from beginning to end.
Boycott Homecoming!!
And in turn I as a fan will not be spending a dime on UK football, and staying in a hotel or eating in restaurants on a would be visit from Illinois. Nor will I at least in the name of football.
I've done something I haven't done in a long time this year and that is I attended some big ten games. I went to a Michigan game in one week an Illinois game the next. Any monies that I spend on college football was pretty much reserved for UK until this year. If Barnhart isn't in any hurry I can assure you I'm not either. I will make the 6 hour trip for basketball and thats it. Its absolutely futile and a waste of money to go to a UK football game .
Feel your pain Grant
How many millions of us would like to have a job that if you get fired we will pay you 38 million dollars, if this is a golden parachute I would be happy to have one made out of pot metal!
Think we all would Ronnie
I wonder if Barnhart ever played a sport?
He has a bad case of Derangement.
Like I have said before, I look for Barnhart to keep Stoops for another year. Barnhart will then retire and leave the new AD to clean up the mess.
I said it once on here and will again. Dropped the renovations plans for the stadium and use that money to buy him out.
Agree
It takes time to…
“learn” to be a winner”
UK finally did it & reached 2 seasons with 10 wins.
It does not take as long to…
“learn to be a loser”
UK has been in the loser mode far too many times for over 1/2 century, and it has required a major overhaul of the program to root out the loser attitude embedded in the locker room.
UK has given an incompetent AD, notorious for giving away tens of millions via one-sided contracts which handcuff UK Athletics and give some coaches millions with ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY!
Administrators above the AD should ALL be held accountable for for the dumb contracts and for never holding the AD accountable.
A clean sweep is needed to restore UK FB and UK administrators to a new level of accountability requiring results!
Wake up UK administrators !!!
Hopefully Virginia Tech is more desperate than we are disillusioned.
Maybe Barnhart will offer VaTech $10 mil as an incentive to take Stoops, please.
Grear idea, Professor!
I'm perplexed by the interest in him in anything other than a coordinator. Im not even sure about that really. But go in peace . Please.
Why not drop football altogether and give that money to the basketball team? I get tired of people making jokes about how bad the football team is year after year.I can’t believe people pay the price of tickets to see them get beat game after game. Maybe just go a few more miles up the road and see a real football coach and team play.