A Mitch Barnhart poison pill makes Mark Stoops unfireable

The $34 Million Poison Pill That Makes Mark Stoops Unfireable

Every frustrated Kentucky football fan is asking the same question after three years of watching the program crumble: With a staggering $9 million salary and a dismal 18-20 record, how is Mark Stoops’ job still secure? The answer lies in a contract so poorly constructed, so disastrously negotiated, that it may be the single worst in all of college sports history. The University of Kentucky is trapped, not by loyalty, but by a Mitch Barnhart poison pill clause that makes a coaching change financially impossible, and Mark Stoops unfireable.

While fans direct their anger at the coach, the real blame lies with Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, who signed off on a deal that has handcuffed the entire program.

The numbers behind the frustration

The case for a change is overwhelming. The on-field product has regressed at an alarming rate. Over the last three seasons, Kentucky is just 18-20. Even more damning, the Cats are a pathetic 1-8 in their last nine games against Power 4 opponents. They haven't won a single game at home against a Power 4 team in eight straight tries. The offense is anemic, the discipline is lacking, and the fanbase is rapidly approaching complete apathy. By any reasonable metric at a proud SEC school, these are fireable offenses. Not for Mark Stoops though.

The worst clause in college football

So, why is Stoops still here? While other schools with underperforming, high-priced coaches like Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer have massive buyouts ($70 million), they are structured to be manageable; by spreading payments out over years. Kentucky’s is not. Mitch Barnhart, in a stunning failure of administrative oversight, allowed a catastrophic clause to be inserted into Stoops' contract: If Kentucky fires Mark Stoops without cause, the university owes him his entire buyout—north of $30 million—in a single lump-sum payment within 60 days.

This isn't just bad; it's administrative malpractice. No major university athletic department can conjure over $30 million in cash in two months. Typical buyouts are paid out over the remaining years of the contract, making them function like a manageable payment plan. This contract is a financial guillotine.

Good job, Mitch

This catastrophic clause re-frames Barnhart’s public comments about needing "two or three bad seasons" before making a change. That wasn't a vote of confidence; it was a desperate plea for time from an AD who knows he negotiated a deal that has rendered him powerless. He can't afford to fire the coach he overpaid, regardless of how poorly the team performs.

The University of Kentucky is now in a painful purgatory. They are paying a premium price for a rapidly declining product, with no viable path to change course. If Kroger Field is half-empty for the next two seasons and the program continues its slide into irrelevance, the blame will fall not just on the coach on the sideline, but squarely on the athletic director who signed the deal that made it all possible.

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premier League soccer. Psalm 18:2. #UpTheAlbion