Two SEC school administration sources have told me in the past 48 hours that University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart will interview for the Kansas University Athletic Director position in early December.
(Landing KU gig would likely mean bump in pay for UK’s Barnhart)
Joining Barnhart as a finalist for the position is current Tulsa Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. Cunningham will also interview with Kansas for the job next month, which was recently vacated by the retirement of Lew Perkins.
I’ve been told Barnhart and Cunningham are two of three finalists targeted by the six-member Kansas AD search panel, which is chaired by the managing partner of Pegasus Capital Management, Ray Evans.
As it pertains to Barnhart, I’ve been told there are three main factors fueling the interest of Kansas officials in the current UK AD.
1) Barnhart’s experience presiding over a traditional, powerhouse basketball program.
2) Barnhart’s reputation for integrity - in the wake of the Kansas ticket scandal and other impropriety that plagued the late stages of the Perkins’ regime.
3) Barnhart’s stellar reputation as one of the top fundraisers in the college athletics.
I’ve been told that Kansas is focusing particularly on the state of its football program with prospective athletic director candidates. Before the ugly departure of Mark Mangino, there were grand plans for a football facility upgrade.
Kansas has made clear to candidates that it wants to revive those plans and that firing current coach Turner Gill, in the near term, is not an option.
Sources tell me that Barnhart’s motivation in pursuing the job is also three-fold.
1) The Kansas AD gig is a great job and he’s originally from the state. He was born in Kansas City and graduated from Ottawa (KS) University.
2) Landing the Kansas job would almost certainly involve a raise from Barnhart’s current base salary, which was $475,000 according to the Kentucky state employee database for 2010. Barnhart has earned considerable money in bonuses over the years, including $30,000 if the Wildcats made a bowl game.
Lew Perkins reportedly made an astounding $4.4 million his final full year on the job as KU AD - but much of that money was via bonuses derived from private funds. Perkins base salary was reportedly $800,000 at the time of his ouster.
3) Barnhart’s concerned, for obvious reasons, that the recruiting methods of John Calipari may soon begin to reflect poorly on the school and his own reputation.
On the latter point, by no means am I implying that Barnhart is attempting to escape UK before the school’s basketball program encounters NCAA sanctions. That’s not the case.
This is more a function of Barnhart tiring of the constant sparring with the NCAA and negative media coverage that inevitably follows John Calipari wherever he goes. (Ironic though as it was Barnhart who hired Calipari.)
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t note that the man who hired Barnhart at Kentucky, UK President Lee T. Todd, Jr., is stepping down from that post in June. As a staunch supporter of Barnhart, perhaps Todd exiting could be a factor in the current UK AD considering his own departure from Lexington. Though that was not confirmed to me by sources.
Barnhart would be a tremendous fit for Kansas, and they’d be extremely lucky to get him.
In comparison, Cunningham is a darkhorse candidate but his track record at Tulsa is impressive as is his extensive background working in the Notre Dame athletic department.
Lew Perkins did a lot of good things at Kansas, but so much of the good will - and fervor for fundraising - was lost in the regrettable circumstances of what many regard as his forced departure. Landing Barnhart would be a major coup in reviving the reputation of an athletic department in sore need of a public relations makeover.
Follow Brooks on Twitter for real-time updates.
11:47 pm on November 14th, 2010
It should be noted that the salary on the government employee database is the money that the school pays Barnhart, but his actual salary may be much higher since it may come from outside sources just like Calipari’s.
I don’t know the exact figure, but Calipari’s salary on the database is much lower than the actual amount of money that comes to his house, in what I can only assume is a Brink’s truck.
12:07 am on November 15th, 2010
UK Fan,
Same thing applies to Perkins. Most of that quoted $4.4 million was private money from bonuses.
His base was reportedly $800,000 when he stepped down.
12:28 am on November 15th, 2010
Ah OK. I can’t believe an AD can make 4.4 million!
12:47 am on November 15th, 2010
Yes, Kansas is the epitome of running a clean program, and not having NCAA violations. Get your head out of the sand.
2:30 am on November 15th, 2010
Kansas has been on probation more than anyone in the last 10 yrs and even had violations during probation
6:31 am on November 15th, 2010
We”ll see how much stroke Bill Self has. He hates Barnhart for firing his pal, Billy Gillespie
8:09 am on November 15th, 2010
What is the status of the Ticket scam at Kansas ? I read that the Pump Bros have been baned from campus. Is the NCAA looking into the Pump Bros. involvement w/the BB program and Self’s employment ?
9:23 am on November 15th, 2010
UK should do whatever it takes to keep Barnhart. Great AD (5 straight bowls for football at a BB school, huge elevation of non-revenue sports, etc.) but more importantly, he is a class individual of the highest integrity. I’m hoping he would rather work with Calipari than Self.
9:51 am on November 15th, 2010
Well, let’s see….Mitch hired a search firm the first time around to fill Tubby’s position costing alot of money and we seen how that panned out. Then Mickie DeMoss leaves and supposedly has a condition in her contract that she can’t coach anywhere else or that university and or DeMoss must pay UK one million dollars. Why did we not go after the money? Did UK screw up on the legal writing of the contract? Plus the 3 million we had to give Gillispie to leave adds up to over 4 million dollars that Barnhart has cost this University and has passed onto the ticket holders. Would you keep your job if you cost your organization over $4 million? I don’t think so.
10:21 am on November 15th, 2010
Mitch Barnhart is just what Kansas needs. He’ll schedule you into a bowl in football. You’ll have to play at least two of the teams ranked in the bottom 20 of the 120 in the big boy division though. And all the hooping and hollering about what he has done for the minor sports at Kentucky. Check out where the minor sports finished over all in the SEC. Last year, with winning the basketball regular season title and tournament, the Cats finished ninth in the conference over all. Mitch talks a good game, has no loyalty to anyone and will the remembered for his basketball hires at Kentucky. Think of it this way. Is Kansas basketball going to falter under your new AD appointment? No, just like at Kentucky, the director of intramurals and the dean of the business school could do the job for a lot less money. BUT as a Kentucky fan, I would love to see you get Ole Mitch. Then maybe we can go out and get an athletic director, not Brooks for heaven’s sake, to hire a football coach who can get us out of the bottom of the SEC.
10:26 am on November 15th, 2010
Not my choice as a KU fan. I want a “football AD” because basketball takes care of itself. KU football is at a critical stage as Turner Gill is really struggling with a team that has some talent. That and the Big 12 next year will have 10 teams and we have to play every team in the South division as opposed to playing just 3 each year and we lose a noncon game which is important in becoming bowl eligible.
11:37 am on November 15th, 2010
he had better get out fast before cheating cal gets caught we all no it will happen
11:57 am on November 15th, 2010
“Sources tell me: ‘
Barnhart’s concerned, for obvious reasons, that the recruiting methods of John Calipari may soon begin to reflect poorly on the school and his own reputation.’”
Buuuuuuuuuuuuullshit. You added that yourself.
12:16 pm on November 15th, 2010
Yeah, he’s so concerned about cheating why not go to the school that’s been on probation more in the last 10 years than any other school…. Kansas!. He wants out because Todd is going and he won’t have anybody else to protect him. Like I said before, if you personally cost your organization over $4 million, would you have a job? I don’t think so and it is incredible that he still has one at UK. Watch out ticket holders!
1:12 pm on November 15th, 2010
Please, go after a Kentucky guy, Dan Issel is my choice
3:17 pm on November 15th, 2010
I was never a huge fan of Barnhart and he spent a lot of time bringing Brooks, a West-Coast Guy… after all is said and done, UK was upset that Brooks was too conservative but he built a solid program slowly from the foundation up. Long story short, he wasn’t ever going to be Saban or Meyer.
I think personally Dan Issel is an interesting option… as would be Howard Schnellenberger but his age may be a deterrent. I do not think that Barnhart likes SEC style schools where the AD sits at the kiddie table while the Coaches get personal invites to the Adult Swim. That’s fine, maybe Kansas is better suited for him. It isn’t like Kentucky can’t come up with another 3-400K to keep him but maybe there’s a better option anyway.
I’d like to think a UK legend would WANT it. I would also hope CM Newton can pull those strings.
ALSO… remember, Cal was not “hired” by Barnhart or Todd…he was hired by the program which is bigger than the both of them. The boosters, alumni and fans really had more say than Barnhart.
5:10 pm on November 15th, 2010
At least we don’t have a sleezy program like UK. KU never once tried to hide anything and have complied on EVERYTHING. In fact we turned ourselves in a couple of times because of our ethics and integrity. And if you still want to get into it the SEC is the most penalized conference.
6:14 pm on November 15th, 2010
Edjayhawk… You must be dislexic. Reverse the KU’s and UK’s and your post would be right on.
7:59 pm on November 15th, 2010
Good, hope he gets it.
7:48 am on November 16th, 2010
There is a “real” candidate right in your backyard, Brooks.
5:29 pm on November 16th, 2010
Right. Please provide me with facts and I might agree with you.
9:02 pm on November 16th, 2010
Edjayhawk-can you read or do any research yourself? The Kansas program has been on probation more than any program in the last 10 years. Integrity? Yeah right! Just like good ole Roy setting up his slush fund to pay players after they graduated from KU and not knowing it was an NCAA violation! (wink wink) And he was on the rules committee! Integrity? Got any tickets left from the Pump brothers? You have no right to talk about any other program when yours is one of the dirtiest of all time!
11:23 pm on November 16th, 2010
Califairy has about as much integrity as a mafia boss. Who would you trust your daughter with? Califairy or Self? I think the choice is clear.
10:29 am on November 17th, 2010
Calipari has never been penalized by the NCAA so please come up with an intelligent response instead of poor attempts at elementary humor. Again, pick up a newspaper once and awhile or better yet actually READ one. As far as integrity, I believe John Calipari was one of only a few coaches if not the only one to actually go out and raise over a million dollars in relief money for Haiti, not to mention all of the other ways he gives back to the communities with financial donations and his time. Not only him but his family also. As far as your question, I think both men would be gentleman and I would trust them both! I guess you’re now accusing John Calipari of being a pedophile! A little advice-it is better to be thought a fool, than to speak (or in your case write) and be known as a fool!
3:38 pm on November 19th, 2010
As a UK Alum and a student during Barhart’s reign, I say “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out”. He has made terrible mistakes at UK. He’s not a student friendly adminstrator. If he doesn’t know about something (a particular sport) he refuses to learn about it and how it might help the university in many ways. The sooner he’s gone the happier we’ll all be. GO BIG BLUE!!!!
12:51 pm on November 22nd, 2010
Yea we got Cal at UK, and yea there have been lots of things around him in the past, BUT He had to take on a special agreement at UK, IF anything smells funny, he will lose his JOB and his BIG BUCKS BOTH,,, And I think he is tired of the smelly stuff in his past and truelly wants to run a good and clean program now,,,,,