The University of Kentucky has announced that Mitch Barnhart is retiring as the school’s athletic director in June and will be taking a new job with the school, UK President Dr. Eli Capilouto announced on Tuesday.
“Mitch Barnhart has led University of Kentucky Athletics for nearly a quarter-century,” Capilouto said in a press release. “It is with a profound mix of emotions that we announce Mitch will be leaving his position as UK Athletics Director at the end of June.
“Mitch often speaks of the idea
that our goal at UK is for student-athletes to place championship rings on their fingers and diplomas in their hands.
“Those aren’t mere words. They are aspirations that he continually has helped our program, our people, and our students meet.”
While Barnhart is leaving his post as AD, he will remain at UK in a new role, which is being called an executive-in-residence of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative. Details of this position will be announced at a later date.
“After thoughtful discussions, I am gratified that he has agreed to stay on and write another new and exciting chapter,” Capilouto said. “Mitch will be the first executive-in-residence of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative. This initiative will be part of a workforce effort that I mentioned in my remarks recently to the Board of Trustees and that I will be announcing more details about in the coming weeks.
“Athletics is fundamental to who we are at UK and how we work to advance Kentucky. It is a growing and dynamic area of our economy, here and nationally.
“College athletics is undergoing a dramatic series of changes. We need people – from sports administration, to marketing, from philanthropy to academic support and mental and physical health – ready for leadership.
“Mitch is distinctly equipped to help us think about the future of intercollegiate sports. I am excited he accepted my offer to take on this new role.”
As for Barnhart himself, here is what he had to say about his retirement as the school’s AD of 24 years.
“I’m not sure there’s ever a finish line for leaders,” Barnhart said of his thought process. “You get to a spot where you finish one job and the next one starts, and then the next task, and the next task, and the next task. At some point, you have to say the baton is someone else’s to carry.
“I’m so thankful that Dr. Capilouto is providing a ‘what’s next’ after leaving this position, and we can have an impact in another way. It will matter to the University, it will matter to our department, it will matter to Kentucky. I’m super appreciative of this opportunity. My love for this place is overflowing.”
As for the next AD, Capilouto said it will be an ongoing process in the coming weeks to find Barnhart’s successor.
“We will not replace Mitch Barnhart,” Capilouto said. “But we will seek to carry on his legacy of excellence, integrity, and commitment, even in the midst of so much change and challenge for college athletics.
“Over the next several weeks, as I have done before during a hiring process, I will conduct a listening tour. I will talk to people at UK and elsewhere about how we move forward.
“There is time ahead for that period of listening. Today, we should pause to recognize and reflect on what Mitch Barnhart has meant to UK – not only athletics – but our entire community and the world of college sports.”
