Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has publicly called out the powers that be at the University of Kentucky, which is falling increasingly behind its peers in both football and basketball, yet still giving a seven-figure role to retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart.
Barnhart, who is leaving his current role on June 30, was recently named executive in residence for the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative by school president Eli Capilouto, and he will earn $1,000,000 per year despite not having a defined job description.
“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said via a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.
A statement from Gov. Beshear. pic.twitter.com/DgoI8NjfGO
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) April 21, 2026
“I’ve been told that despite previously saying the dean must be approved by UK’s Board of Trustees, the university has shifted and now states approval is not needed. I worry that these actions are related to certain donors pushing partisan and undue outside influence onto the university. I hope students, faculty, trustees and the community attend this week’s board meetings and ask the tough questions that should be answered.”
Beshear’s statement comes at a time when the once-dominant basketball program hasn’t made a Final Four appearance since 2015, and football coach Mark Stoops has been replaced by former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein following four consecutive seasons under .500.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.