The Kentucky Wildcats’ search for a new athletic director might soon come to an end. According to reports, the University is considering Michigan State AD J Batt for this position.
However, Kentucky insider Tristan Pharis has questions about this choice. On Saturday, he shared a tweet on the situation after the reports surfaced. Pharis highlighted J Batt’s experience in increasing revenue. However, he doubts his ability to recruit suitable coaches.
“Kentucky had talked heavily about increasing revenue, and Batt fits perfectly in that regard,” Pharis wrote. “That said, my concern is his record of hiring coaches, which is mixed.
“Batt has hired three coaches as an AD: Georgia Tech FB (football), Brent Key: Has been successful, but administration preferred other candidates. Boosters pushed for (Brent) Key. Georgia Tech BB (Basketball), Damon Stoudamire: Never had a winning record. Fired after three seasons.
“Michigan State FB, Pat Fitzgerald: Hired this past offseason, TBD. Conflicted reviews of hire.”
J Batt began his career as a graduate assistant for North Carolina in 2005. He worked his way up the ranks and became the associate AD of East Carolina in 2013. He also served as the deputy AD of Alabama from 2017 to 2022, adding some SEC experience to his resume.
In 2022, he was hired as the new AD at Georgia Tech. Batt broke school records in athletic fundraising during his time there. In addition to this, he also worked to provide his school’s athletes with corporate sponsorships as a source of revenue.
Batt worked similarly after joining Michigan State last year. During his tenure, Acrisure CEO Greg Wiliams donated and invested approximately $401 million to the school and took part in an effort to renovate Spartan Stadium and other athletic features.
Who was Kentucky’s previous athletic director?
For the past 24 years, the Kentucky Wildcats have had Mitch Barnhart as the school’s athletic director. He was hired in 2002 as Larry Ivy’s replacement.
Barnhart was the longest-serving athletic director at Kentucky. He had agreed to a contract extension in 2023 that ran through 2028. However, he is set to retire on June 30. As part of his retirement plan, he was expected to be the first person in Kentucky’s history to assume the role of executive-in-residence of the UK Sport and Workforce Initiative.
However, on Thursday, Kentucky President Eli Capilouto reported that Barnhart will not be accepting this role. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also made headlines when he questioned the creation of this new position for the former AD.
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