Barnhart to retire

[Cawood86]

I want someone associated with UK. Either former Coach or player.

Agree....my nominee is Jeff Sheppard

[bthaunert]

Agree....my nominee is Jeff Sheppard

Honest question....what does Jeff Sheppard know about talent evaluation, compiling rosters, NIL evaluation, etc. that would make him a good GM? We are struggling mightily in basketball right now because we hired a guy based on the fact "he is one of us" but wasn't even in the top 30 most qualified guys for the job. What is the fascination (not speaking directly to you, but in general) with bringing in former players that do not have the resume for the job, other than the fact they played here?

[Cawood86]

Honest question....what does Jeff Sheppard know about talent evaluation, compiling rosters, NIL evaluation, etc. that would make him a good GM? We are struggling mightily in basketball right now because we hired a guy based on the fact "he is one of us" but wasn't even in the top 30 most qualified guys for the job. What is the fascination (not speaking directly to you, but in general) with bringing in former players that do not have the resume for the job, other than the fact they played here?

I was actually thinking of AD for him.

[Cawood86]

I think a good basketball GM for basketball would be Jamal Mashburn.

[bthaunert]

I was actually thinking of AD for him.

OK....I would love to hear more on that thought process.

[bthaunert]

I think a good basketball GM for basketball would be Jamal Mashburn.

Not a bad choice. I've advocated for the past couple of years to bring on Prince or Nazr. Prince is the current VP of Basketball Affairs for the Memphis Grizzlies and has worked in their front office for 10 years now. Nazr has been a GM in the G League and is the current Director of Team Personnel for the OKC Thunder.

Those 2 guys are the kind that you want to bring in.

[Jload]

I was never a fan. I will not go into all the ways I think he failed in his job, just say I hope we hire somebody NOT in his good old boy network.

[Cawood86]

Not a bad choice. I've advocated for the past couple of years to bring on Prince or Nazr. Prince is the current VP of Basketball Affairs for the Memphis Grizzlies and has worked in their front office for 10 years now. Nazr has been a GM in the G League and is the current Director of Team Personnel for the OKC Thunder.

Those 2 guys are the kind that you want to bring in.

I would be good with those two as well.

[Cawood86]

OK....I would love to hear more on that thought process.

He's been a good businessman. He's very connected to the program. He definitey knows the ins and ours of the sportsworld. Has great character.

[Matt Dillon]

Whomever is hired I hope they're an A.D. for most of the athletic programs and not just a certain one. I'd be the first to agree that Mitch made some major hiring blunders and contract blunders, but he does seem to want all of UK's programs to succeed.

[bthaunert]

He's been a good businessman. He's very connected to the program. He definitey knows the ins and ours of the sportsworld. Has great character.

We will agree to disagree on this one. He's a financial advisor in London, KY who has zero experience in running a $200 million ever-changing business with 100's of employees and athletes.

[CATHYnKY]

Agree....my nominee is Jeff Sheppard

Good choice

[Cawood86]

We will agree to disagree on this one. He's a financial advisor in London, KY who has zero experience in running a $200 million ever-changing business with 100's of employees and athletes.

Doesn't seem it helped Barnhart any to have experience.

[bthaunert]

Doesn't seem it helped Barnhart any to have experience.

While he gets a lot of crap, Mitch did a lot of really good things for the program, amongst some bad things too. But overall, much more good than bad. Anyone that runs something for 24 years is going to have good and bad. He took over a hot mess that Larry Ivy left and really elevated UK from a basketball only school to a really solid all around athletic program. The biggest issue with Mitch is college athletics has passed him by. It's time for a change, but to act like his tenure at UK was all doom and gloom is far from the truth.

[WeWant9]

I've never been a keep it in house or family type. I don't care if they come from Kentucky, Texas, or Zimbabwe; just give me a winner who will do what it takes to make UK the best of the best.