An athletic director is judged by the people hired to lead the biggest programs in the department. Over 24 years, Mitch Barnhart made more major hires than most athletic directors. He nailed a few, but also had a few big misses. There is one in particular that looms large when discussing his legacy.
When Tubby Smith left Lexington for Minnesota following the 2007 season, Barnhart had multiple impressive candidates lined up to fill the vacancy. Instead, Kentucky fans got two years of Billy Gillispie. The Texas A&M head coach had just eliminated Louisville from the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena, enough for some fans to believe it would work, but it did not.
The word around Big Blue Nation is that John Calipari wanted to be the Kentucky head coach in 2007, but Barnhart balked. The story is that Mike Pratt had to convince Mitch that Calipari was the right man for the job in 2009. Former UK President Lee Todd told a different story on the day Barnhart announced his retirement.
“I will take credit for the Billy Gillispie hire,” Todd told LEX-18’s Noah Cierzan on Tuesday. “I know that’s one thing people complain about with (Barnhart), but that was on me.”
Dr. Todd was widely admired during his tenure from 2001-11. Nobody would’ve put the blame on the President for making the wrong choice for a basketball coach, but he is falling on the sword.
“When Tubby left for Minnesota, Mitch called me and said he wanted to hire John Calipari,” Todd recalled. “I said, ‘Mitch, we just got off three years probation. I want to try to rid Kentucky of being on probation every decade like we’ve been.’ I heard about Calipari and read some stuff, and I just didn’t feel comfortable going back to where we used to be, so we didn’t hire him.”
Lee Todd says Mitch Barnhart wanted to hire John Calipari instead of Billy Gillispie
When Tubby Smith left Lexington for Minnesota following the 2007 season, Barnhart had multiple impressive candidates lined up to fill the vacancy. Instead, Kentucky fans got two years of Billy Gillispie. The Texas A&M head coach had just eliminated Louisville from the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena, enough for some fans to believe it would work, but it did not.
The word around Big Blue Nation is that John Calipari wanted to be the Kentucky head coach in 2007, but Barnhart balked. The story is that Mike Pratt had to convince Mitch that Calipari was the right man for the job in 2009. Former UK President Lee Todd told a different story on the day Barnhart announced his retirement.
“I will take credit for the Billy Gillispie hire,” Todd told LEX-18’s Noah Cierzan on Tuesday. “I know that’s one thing people complain about with (Barnhart), but that was on me.”
Dr. Todd was widely admired during his tenure from 2001-11. Nobody would’ve put the blame on the President for making the wrong choice for a basketball coach, but he is falling on the sword.
“When Tubby left for Minnesota, Mitch called me and said he wanted to hire John Calipari,” Todd recalled. “I said, ‘Mitch, we just got off three years probation. I want to try to rid Kentucky of being on probation every decade like we’ve been.’ I heard about Calipari and read some stuff, and I just didn’t feel comfortable going back to where we used to be, so we didn’t hire him.”
Lee Todd says Mitch Barnhart wanted to hire John Calipari instead of Billy Gillispie
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