With his new contract's salary increases, Barnhart could make up to $1.175M per year by '23GETTY IMAGES
Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart received a contract extension that "pays the UK official $195,000 more in salary this year than last and includes yearly increases with a bonanza of new incentives and retention bonuses," according to Jennifer Smith of the LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER. The deal "will keep Barnhart" at UK through at least '23 with an option for '24 "hinging on outlined goals." The new contract "provides annual salary increases that could pay Kentucky’s top athletics official as much" as $1.175M by '23. Not including potential bonuses, Barnhart will "make $925,000 this fiscal year, which puts him squarely in the middle of salaries" among SEC ADs. Barnhart, who is the SEC's longest-tenured AD, is the "sixth-highest paid among them." Under Barnhart, UK has "set records for graduation rates and maintained a perfect mark in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate." Continued success in academics "will bring newly outlined bonuses for Barnhart as well" (LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER, 6/30). In Louisville, Fletcher Page noted Barnhart was "selected by unanimous vote of his peers last year" as the Chair of SEC ADs. UK "finished 50th in the Directors’ Cup standings, an all-sports measure of success," during his first season in '02-03. UK "finished a school-record 10th" in '15-16 and ranked 17th this past season (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 6/30).
