. (WKYT) – Gov. Andy Beshear said he is losing confidence in the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky, citing concerns over a new nearly $1 million role, presumably the position recently accepted by Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart and the hiring of a new law school dean faculty did not recommend.
In a social media post, Beshear said he is “losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky.”
Vandy/UVA grad’s hatchet job on a respected judge who happens to be a Republican. Of course the Governor thinks left-leaning faculty should make all the decisions. I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making of Andy Beshear. https://t.co/15XeZlkc5Q
— Sec. Michael Adams (R-KY) (@Adams4SecState) April 21, 2026
Barnhart’s new role
Beshear cited a new $1 million job with “no defined duties”, presumably the job recently accepted by Barnhart, who is retiring as athletics director at the end of June after 24 years. Barnhart’s base salary in the new role is $950,000.
Barnhart will serve as the university’s first Executive in Residence for the new UK Sport and Workforce Initiative starting July 1. UK President Dr. Eli Capilouto said Barnhart’s experience improving graduation rates, grade point averages and the student fan experience will translate directly to the new position.
“Educational programs for our students, many more certificates that we’re already offering they can rack and stack these you can get a degree in athletic training, physical therapy you can have stacked on that sports management so it’s going to be a — I think a tremendous initiative that pays lots of dividends,” Capilouto said.
Barnhart’s new contract runs through 2030 and includes a $650,000 retention bonus. He currently earns $1.55 million a year as athletic director. Kentucky teams won six NCAA team national championships during his tenure, which began in 2002.
Board approval not required
UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the Board of Trustees did not approve Barnhart’s new position because it was not required to. Blanton said the only employment contract the Board of Trustees approves is the president’s.
Capilouto has sole authority to create the position and does not need approval from anyone, according to Blanton. In the new role, Barnhart will report directly to the president.
A 2023 contract extension gave Barnhart the option to step down as athletic director and move into a role titled “Special Assistant to the President” beginning as early as July 1, 2026, at $800,000 a year. Instead, Capilouto created a different position with different duties.
Barnhart’s new contract provides limited details about his specific responsibilities. It states he will work collaboratively with other leaders of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative and devote time, attention and abilities to “other assigned duties.”
UK has said Barnhart’s salary will come from the athletics budget, not the university’s general fund.
Law school dean hiring
Beshear’s second concern centered on the hiring of a new law school dean who was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty. The governor questioned whether that appointment requires Board of Trustees approval.
UK Provost Robert S. DiPaola named Greg Van Tatenhove as the new dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, pending Board of Trustees approval.
Van Tatenhove, a 1989 alumnus of the college, is currently serving as district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a role he has held since his confirmation by the U.S. Senate in December 2005. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor for the Rosenberg College of Law.
Prior to his appointment as district judge, Van Tatenhove served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 2001 to 2006.
Van Tatenhove also presided over a controversial case in 2020, filed by Tabernacle Baptist Church against the Governor regarding executive orders issued during the pandemic related to mass gatherings.
Beshear said he worries both decisions reflect “certain donors pushing partisan and undue outside influence onto the university.” He urged the public to attend this week’s Board of Trustees meetings and “ask the tough questions.”
University response
In a statement, Blanton said the university respects the governor’s feedback but disagrees with his assessment.
“In Judge Van Tatenhove we have someone who will be an outstanding Dean for the Rosenberg College of Law,” Blanton said. “With more than two decades of experience and an exemplary record on the federal courts, as well as years as a U.S. Attorney and in public service, he is the right leader, with the right skills and the right background and expertise at a critical moment for the college.”