Overview
- Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday he is losing confidence in UK leadership, citing a near–$1 million job with no defined duties and a law dean choice that faculty did not recommend.
- Mitch Barnhart, retiring after 24 years as athletic director, is set to earn $950,000 a year through Aug. 31, 2030 as executive-in-residence in the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative.
- The university says Barnhart’s salary will be paid from the athletics budget, and some prominent supporters have publicly criticized the arrangement.
- UK responded through spokesperson Jay Blanton, who defended Judge Greg Van Tatenhove as an outstanding choice to lead the law school based on his decades on the federal bench and public service.
- Faculty records indicate a substantial majority opposed Van Tatenhove’s selection, and a professor’s misconduct report about the search is under investigation as board meetings this week face heightened scrutiny.