Kentucky awards contract extension to athletics director Barnhart

Less than five months before his time as University of Kentucky president ends, Lee T. Todd Jr. announced Wednesday that he had given Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart a contract extension and six-figure salary increase.

When asked if the decision might adversely impact the pool of candidates to become UK's next president, Todd bristled.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I'm doing a heck of a favor for the next person to be president of this university. And don't you think I'm not."

Ironically, Barnhart dismissed several administrators in UK's athletic department in order to bring in his own people when he arrived nine years ago. Todd denied that the new contract, which added three years and boosted Barnhart's annual pay from $475,000 to $600,000, would hinder the new president from enjoying the same privilege.

Instead, Todd described Barnhart's extension through June 30, 2019, as a gift to the new president.

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