Mitch Barnhart will not transition into his proposed new role as Executive in Residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative following his retirement as the school’s athletics director.

Announced as part of his decision to step down as AD, effective June 30, Barnhart was going to earn $950,000 annually — along with benefits such as insurance, tickets to athletic events, and a country club membership — through 2030. That will no longer be the case, he announced alongside UK President Eli Capilouto on Thursday.

“Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” President Capilouto said. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.

“With that in mind, Mitch has informed me that he will retire from his position of Athletics Director on June 30 and step away from the proposed ongoing role leading the Sports Workforce Initiative at the university. Over the next several weeks, he and I will work through the terms of his departure, through a process guided by his contract.

“The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise. Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.”

Barnhart says that while he was excited about the opportunity — a polarizing one with more questions than answers regarding specific day-to-day responsibilities, despite the near-million-dollar annual salary — it’s become clear that ‘now is not the right time.’

“When Connie and I came here 24 years ago, our goal was to do a great job for the University of Kentucky before whatever became the next phase of our journey. We fell in love with this place — especially the people — and we are thankful for the opportunities given us by Dr. Capilouto and Dr. Todd,” he said. “What we thought was the next step in our path became our destination. It is difficult to put into words how much UK means to us. Our hearts continue to be full of love and appreciation for this institution.

“With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports. Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.

“As Connie and I reflect on our time here, our hope is that our contributions have made a positive impact on the lives of our students, coaches and staff, and the Big Blue Nation. We cherish the wonderful relationships we have made and look forward to any ways we can continue to serve. Go Cats!”

Barnhart’s new proposed role has been the subject of controversy since it was first announced, but pushback reached new heights this week when Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear entered the chat, questioning the school’s leadership and its decision to create a lucrative job out of thin air without a clear vision for what that would entail.

He didn’t call out Barnhart by name — and it was a part of a bigger message that also criticized the school’s decision to hire U.S. District Judge Greg Van Tatenhove as the dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law — but the words were heard loud and clear.

“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Governor Beshear said in an official statement. “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties.”

When asked about his new role during his retirement press conference, Barnhart scoffed at the idea that his future at the school was anything but crucial and said those questioning the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative — and his status as Executive in Residence — were ‘knuckleheads.’

“This notion that this golden parachute is falling from the ceiling and I’m gonna sit in the rocking chair and eat hay, is ridiculous garbage,” he said. “That notion started by some two or three knuckleheads needs to end. I’m excited about working. I’m not done.”

Previous contract details revealed that the new role came with four responsibilities — all vague:

Jointly report to the President and Provost of the University

Serve as the Executive in Residence for the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative, a transdisciplinary and collaborative approach to the study and promotion of sports.

Work collaboratively with the other leaders of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative

Devote time, attention, and abilities to other duties as assigned, as well as faithfully serve the University

Considering the salary and benefits, along with confirmation from a UK spokesperson that Barnhart’s job would be on the athletic department’s payroll, that vision was not clear enough to avoid serious pushback. Outside of Gov. Beshear, former Herald-Leader columnist Linda Blackford and prominent UK booster Brett Setzer were among those to criticize the move — the latter publishing an Op-Ed with the HL this morning to double down.

“The decision to put Mitch Barnhart into a cushy executive role was just the tip of the non-transparency iceberg, it seems,” it reads.

That decision was officially reversed on Thursday.