WBN Kentucky Wildcat Roundtable – What's the Biggest Transgression: Pitino to UL or Barnhart to UT?

Let me preface this by saying:  Mitch Barnhart has said several times by now and tweeted that he is not interested in the vacant AD posistion at the University of Tennessee and I have no reason to doubt his word.  So in no way, am I trying to stir something up by this post and indicate that I think Mitch is not being honest.

Truth of the matter is, when this story hit, I thought it would be a juicy roundtable topic and I prepared my contributors for this topic.  So this article was mostly done when the denials started coming.  So let me say again, Mitch, we believe you wholeheartedly … and we will even over look that whole flirtation with Kansas over their AD job, which still seems kind of shady to me.

So this week’s Rounndtable question remains the same:

Which would be the bigger sin:  Rick Pitino to Louisville or Mitch Barnhart to Tennessee? 

And since we know that Mitch is staying at Kentucky, let’s just have the debate in honor of good ole Nick Saban, shall we?  You know since he said he was never going to be the head coach of Alabama.  We can also add Bobby Petrino to the list:

For the record as a life long Dolphins fan, Saban was an average NFL coach. I just hate being lied to. OK, on with the roundtable.

Glenn Logan, A Sea of Blue: A bigger sin? Well, for my money, the Cardinals are a bigger rival even if they are in a different conference, so I suppose that would be the controlling factor. Personally, I don’t feel near the revulsion when talking about Tennessee as I do talking about Louisville. It would be a shame if Barnhart left for Tennessee, but fans don’t have nearly the emotional investment in an AD that they have in a head coach.

Greg Edwards, Wildcat Blue Nation: I cannot in good conscience call either a “sin”. If Mitch took the AD Job at Tennessee, it would be because he wanted it, and that is no sin. He has given his all while he has been here, and no one can fault him for that. Being loyal to the Big Blue Nation does not mean you have to sacrifice what you want to accomplish in life. Now, if he goes there and starts slinging a lot of nonsense around about people here and what happened while he was AD, then we have a problem.


Rick Pitino is a case of someones ego writing a check their abilities couldn’t cash. After his disaster in Boston, he needed a place to land. And coming home to Kentucky was a smart play. Unfortunately it could not be worked out for him to return to the Cats, and I understand his choosing Louisville completely. After all, if you cannot coach the best, you should not feel bad about taking one of the really good “leftover” teams. Besides, Pitino admitted he made a mistake when he left Kentucky. But with the kind of money and power Red Auerbach was offering, I would have gone myself, and my ego would have been the deciding factor there as well.


In the end, no sins attached for anyone wanting to better themselves. The mistake is in thinking that any place could be better than Kentucky.

Tyler Cox, Wildcat Blue Nation: In my opinion, without a doubt Rick Pitino going to Louisville would be the bigger sin, and probably always will be in Kentucky history. Pitino knew darn well that if you were a UK fan you were already born with the extreme dislike for Louisville. Knowing that… he still chose to go to there, and that is what sets Pitino under the description of Judas. I actually would have no problem with Barnhart going to Tennessee, because if is anyone stupid enough to want that job I don’t want them as my Athletic Director. And to be honest the rivalry with Tennessee is not even close to the one with Louisville, and it never will be.

Jason Marcus, Wildcat Blue Nation: Rick Pitino by far. Mitch as an AD isn’t directly competing against anyone. He’s simply managing what he has at his school. Pitino coaches and recruits against UK. Plus, Mitch hasn’t said a bad thing about anyone publicly that I’m aware of. Just today, Pitino referred to SEC as second rate league. I actually wasn’t that disappointed when Pitino went to Louisville. Its just what he’s done to downplay UK and what he did here. He acts at times as if he never coached here. Mitch is such a good guy I would feel good for Tennessee if he went their because I know he would focus more on improving the image and culture there, before he worried about winning. He cares more about people as human beings than players on a team.


Ken Howlett, A Sea of Blue: This one’s easy; Pitino going to Louisville. And the why: Pitino was UK basketball. He revived the program from its near-death experience, and took it to heights not visited since the days of Rupp. For him to relocate and soothe his NBA-inflicted wounds at the sworn enemies house is reprehensible, and I feel the reason for much of the bad Karma ol’ Rick has experienced since his arrival at the ‘Ville.
Barnhart, on the other hand, is merely an administrator (and Tennessee isn’t nearly as vile as UofL).


Paul Jordan, Wildcat Blue Nation: I have to say that I am surprised at the responses this week. I thought it would be mixed at best. And I have to disagree with the whole lot of you. What Rick Pitino did was unforgivable to Kentucky fans. I think the fact that he left UK was the bigger sin, but he left UK for the pros. After failing miserably, his arrogance led him to make the horrible decision that he could be king in Kentucky and overtake his “Camelot”. To be honest, the NBA buffer makes the decision to go to Louisville a little less vile than if he went directly to UK from Louisville, but yes, that was a sin and he now resides in Hell (Louisville) for it.


But IF Barnhart were to go to Tennessee? Wow. I’m a big fan of mob movies and Barnhart would be the guy that knows where the bodies are buried. (Note: I really don’t think there are bodies. Using a mob metaphor). But every school has things that they do not want falling into the lap of a big rival and Barnhart could stir up some drama.


I could see a scenario where he try to attack Kentucky through recruiting. And the way he could do that is to lure the two top recruiters to UT. If Mitch were to become AD at UT, I could imagine a future with Tee Martin as head football coach and Orlando Antigua as head basketball coach. Any mob movie fan knows that you don’t go after the big guys right away, but you take out their generals, which Mitch could throw money at and do.

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