LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB/WKYT) — Gov. Andy Beshear is renewing his criticism of the University of Kentucky leadership, starting with a revised retirement deal for former Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart.
The revised agreement calls for Barnhart to receive more than $3 million, paid in installments. The money will not come from the university’s budget, but will instead be paid from UK President Eli Capilouto’s private fundraising, along with an additional $40,000 annual salary for Barnhart to assist with fundraising.
Beshear said Thursday during his Team Kentucky briefing that the money could instead support students, faculty and research at UK.
"I don't have anything against Mitch Barnhart, but this is a lot of money," Beshear said. "I know there’s an argument, 'Oh, the president’s gonna raise it, it’s not state funds.' Well, that's money the president isn't raising for the University of Kentucky."
This isn't the first time Beshear has criticized the handling of Barnhart's retirement.
When Barnhart announced his retirement in March, the university said he would lead a new Sports Workforce Initiative with a salary over $950,000, a larger amount than what most Power Four athletic directors make.
In April, Beshear said he was "losing confidence" in UK's leadership, citing a "new $1 million job that has no defined duties."
Days later, UK scrapped the position. Capilouto said Barnhart came to him and said the position had "become a distraction from the work of our university."
Beshear also brought up Thursday the university's appointment of new law school dean Greg Van Tatenhove, another decision he previously criticized.
Van Tatenhove, a U.S. District Judge, was announced as new dean of UK's Rosenberg College of Law in March. He was appointed to the bench to the bench by President George W. Bush and was a staffer to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Beshear said Thursday Van Tatenhove does not fit university criteria, and that he was the only candidate not recommended by the law school faculty. He also questioned the university's explanation for the hiring, saying UK can't claim it followed its "regular process" while also citing an "exception for extraordinary circumstances."
"... If you invoke an exception for extraordinary circumstances, you're not following a regular process," Beshear said. "You're saying, 'OK, we’re moving everything out we previously said and we’re going an entirely different direction.' Don’t insult our intelligence.'"
Beshear tied the Van Tatenhove controversy to Barnhart’s new position, saying both circumstances have led him to lose confidence in UK leadership.
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