UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR (Odds)

The University of Kentucky Athletics Association embraced a new vision on July 15, 2002, when school president Dr. Lee T. Todd Jr. named Mitch Barnhart the Wildcats' Director of Athletics.

"Mitch Barnhart brings to the University of Kentucky a proven record of success, in addition to experience," Dr. Todd stated. "He has deep passion for working with students, and his philosophies are very much in sync with mine on how to run this program. I believe he has a well thought-out vision on how to move our athletics department forward."

Barnhart's vision was clear at Oregon State, where he served the previous four years (1998-2002) as athletics director. Most notably, a strong effort in fiscal management helped reduce the Beavers' operating debt from $12.5 million to $4.8 million during his tenure, a debt that is on schedule for elimination. He raised $20 million in capital contributions for new baseball and softball stadiums, an indoor practice center and a basketball arena renovation. He developed Beaver Sports Properties, which produced increased revenue for the department through broadcast rights.

Barnhart attended nearby Ottawa University and was born in Kansas City, Kan.

And thanks to five new head coaching hires - including the addition of football coach Dennis Erickson, a proven winner, and the school's best finish in the Sears Director's Cup Standings, 48th - the Beaver's annual fundraising jumped from $800,000 to $4.5 million in three years. Erickson's addition assisted the football team in snapping a streak of 28 consecutive losing seasons with back-to-back bowl appearances, including a Pacific-10 Championship and a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2000. Football season ticket sales jumped from 6,000 to 23,000, and the Beavers were sold out in nine consecutive games.

Under Barnhart's leadership, Oregon State had the highest GPA for student-athletes since tracking began in 1992, which included 2.91 GPA for 520 student-athletes and 3.0 or better for 173 student-athletes. Barnhart also has served on several sports and working committees of the Pac-10 Conference, NCAA and NACDA, and completed the second cycle of NCAA certification in February 2001.

His prior success can be based on a five-principle philosophy that he implemented for the University of Kentucky Athletics Association the day he was hired: operate in a first-class manner; possess great integrity; keep the focus on the student-athletes; provide sound fiscal management; and compete for championships in all sports.

Has the experience of leading a major university and is from the area. There are certainly worse choices out there.

Barnhart becomes the first UK athletics director since 1934 who has not had prior UK ties as either a player, coach or staff member. Before his tenure at OSU, he worked at Tennessee for 12 years (1986-98), the last four as Senior Associate Athletics Director. He assisted the athletics director in all aspects of administering a $35 million budget and in hiring UT's head coaches. As the Volunteers' fundraiser, he was directly responsible for roughly one third of the annual revenue base of $12 million in the athletic department with administrative oversight of the baseball, track and swimming programs.

In addition, he created the Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund, which is responsible for over $53 million in annual cash gifts since 1986, including $8 million in 1996-1997. Barnhart was responsible for more than $75 million of capital funding to support facility improvement projects in 1986, including the expansion of Neyland Stadium to 105,000 seats. He also expanded membership in the department's donor fund from 2,200 members to 9,500 with an average gift increase from $250 to $950.

Before his term at UT, Barnhart served as assistant executive director of the Mustang Club at Southern Methodist University (Dallas) from 1983 to 1986; regional director for the Duck Athletic Fund at University of Oregon (Eugene) in 1983; and was an intern for the Aztec Athletic Foundation at San Diego State University in 1982-1983.

Barnhart, 42, is a native of Kansas City, Kan. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ottawa (Kan.) University in 1981, where he was a golf letterman, and a Master of Science degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1982.

He and his wife, the former Connie Brown, have three children, Kirby, 14, Blaire, 11, and Scott, 8.

—Courtesy of ukathletics.ocsn.com.