It’s one thing for a program to struggle. It’s another for its leadership to seem completely oblivious to the frustration boiling over in the fan base. Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart’s recent comments defending the state of the football program are not just tone-deaf; they are utterly delusional.
While fans are pointing to nine straight home losses to Power Five opponents and a 5-9 record in the last 14 games, Barnhart is asking for more patience.
“Now, if we go two or three more, a couple more years, and we’re still not back where we want to be, sure, then you have to have a conversation,” Barnhart stated before the season, a comment so disconnected from the current reality it’s kind of insulting to BBN.
Excuses that don't add up
Barnhart continued to defend the coaching staff by pointing to past achievements, completely ignoring the sharp decline in the present.
“It’s not a mistake our coaches took us to eight straight bowl games, and we’ve won ten games in two different seasons,” Barnhart said. “This isn’t a staff that doesn’t know how to win… we’ve had a set of circumstances that have not served us well the last couple of years, and we’ve got to find our way back.”
The 10-win seasons were in 2018 and 2021. In the world of college football, that is ancient history. Pointing to them now is like a failing business bragging about its profits from five years ago, while filing for bankruptcy. It ignores the fact that Mark Stoops is 20-53 against teams with a winning record and that his team is consistently unprepared for big moments.
The truth is obvious. Barnhart is in damage control mode, desperately trying to justify the disastrous, ironclad contract he gave Mark Stoops. His comments about finances—"This isn’t about just surviving and being able to make sure that all the finances work for us"—reveal that finances are exactly what this is about. He is protecting his own costly mistake while the program withers, and he is asking a fed-up Big Blue Nation to keep paying for it.
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 121:7-8. #UpTheAlbion