"At the end of the day, I think the [Kentucky] fan base needs to temper their expectations, Mark Pope has this thing going in the right direction."
- @itsbjtaylor
Herb Sendek recruited Pope to UK when he worked for Rick Pitino, and that handshake line proves the point. A terrible decision by that kid to dunk that last shot. Bush League!
I asked Eli Capiuloto for a statement about the decision to give Mitch Barnhart nearly $2 million more in salary from his original contract upon retirement. They sent me this statement:
“Mitch Barnhart is the most successful athletics director in UK history, from six national championships to historic levels of academic performance among our students. His long-term contract always contemplated a role at the university and that he would be compensated by Athletics after he stepped down as AD. And that contract has always been public.
“What has changed is clarity and purpose. Rather than a vague, undefined post‑AD role, Mitch now has a clearly structured position that allows him to deliver real impact: co‑leading a university‑wide initiative to strengthen Kentucky’s workforce, specifically by growing and supporting the sports‑related workforce in our state. Few people in the country are better positioned to do that work than Mitch, given his decades of leadership, national reputation and contacts, and deep understanding of the industry.
“His compensation is in line with what comparable institutions have paid for similar transitions — and the role itself is more robust, more accountable, and more critical to the university’s mission. Importantly, this does not detract from the Athletics Department’s capacity in any way.
“In June, the UK Board of Trustees authorized an internal university loan of up to $110 million for athletics to invest in facilities and future growth as well as up $31 million in operational funds for athletics. The idea is to help ensure our success and the standards of excellence our fans expect. We are investing in the success of UK Athletics more than ever before because it is so crucial to UK and our mission to advance Kentucky.”
– Jay Blanton
There also has been no update about the timeline to hire the new AD, how candidates are being vetted and what the supposed “listening” tour around the state includes
An insane lack of transparency by a public university
Be honest BBN…
Would you rather have:
A) The John Calipari era with elite freshmen every year
OR
B) The new Mark Pope system built around older players and transfers
I’m curious where fans stand right now.
#BBN
Kentucky is an elite 8 team if they can hit the basket. Maybe Final Four if we get a good draw. Defense was good today just gotta secure rebounds and hit open shots. Little more confident after this week. I’ll take our chances next week.
@MrsTylerKSR@ryanlemond As much as I do agree with him, this is the same guy that was going nuts when Tubby left saying UK fans were crazy to be upset with a 20-10 season and NCAA tourney bid.
Dickie V bringing the heat on Kentucky right now: "Moral victories do not count at this level of basketball...People may leave here saying, we kept it close. Bottom line is you're Kentucky, and you've got to leave here, especially at home. There are no moral victories."
Honest question for all of you BBN's that love me so much.
What's the difference between the team having a unique jersey night & the fans at Rupp Arena doing a "t shirt" night?
Talking about it now
youtube.com/live/gZIKXcXCD…