When it comes to the world of college athletics administration, Mitch Barnhart '81 is at the top of his game. Barnhart is in his sixth year as the athletic director at the University of Kentucky, one of the premier NCAA Division I programs in the country with a national fan base, an average attendance of 24,000 at home basketball games, and renewed interest in a football program that has seen its share of disappointments through the decades.

Barnhart arrived in Lexington after serving for four years in the same capacity at Oregon State University, and being at the helm in both places has afforded him some very memorable moments. Some of the highlights include seeing the OSU Beavers, the losingest major college football program, win the 2000 PAC-10 championship and defeat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, 41-9. In his first year at Kentucky, he saw the storied Wildcat men's basketball team rattle off 26 straight wins. Then in 2007, Kentucky's football team rose to new heights by defeating top-ranked LSU in triple overtime and hosting ESPN's College Gameday. But Barnhart says there are also great memories that most folks never see.

"There is nothing more fun than walking through a locker room with a bunch of athletes that are preparing to go out and compete," said Barnhart. "And then to walk out that tunnel with them or walk back in after a victory and be part of that - there's nothing better than that."

Throw into the mix a few trips to international cities with various teams along with deciding how to get an entire team and the university entourage to a bowl game, and you have the makings for an exciting way to earn a living. But Barnhart says behind the scenes, there are a host of challenges that make his job "a glorified fire." One of the challenges is managing people, which he says can be quite fun at the same time.

"You try not to be in crisis mode but the reality is you're dealing with 500 kids that are 18-23 years old. And you've got 200 employees and another 300 people in the band and the dance squads that are going to cause you to have something on your plate most of the time," said Barnhart.

The other challenge is the media-driven world in which every decision made by a top athletic director is scrutinized, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes after a decision is made. Barnhart says sports talk radio, the internet, daily newspapers and all of the opinions that go along with them, have turned the athletic director's world into a real "churn-and-burn" business. Bottom line, says Barnhart, an AD used to have a job for 12 to 15 years, but now, s/he must be producing winning teams and properly managing multi-million dollar budgets within three years or it's on to the next deal.

"I listen to talk radio very seldom; it's just not worth it," says Barnhart. "But when I do listen, I laugh at what comes across, it's so inaccurate. And yet, these guys (radio hosts, bloggers, and beat writers) are sure they're on the inside, or they've got it from a really good source. It busts me up when I listen to it."

Barnhart says sometimes the opinion makers are close to getting the facts straight, but there's one key bit of information they usually miss. "They don't understand how you got there, or why you got there, or what the next step is, and all the little intricacies that go along with it."

So how does Barnhart survive in the churn-and-burn business of college athletics? He says it comes down to two things - faith and family. "If you're not consistent and you're not on a Christian walk that's solid, you're going to be hard pressed to make it in this business," said Barnhart. "You've got to know that regardless of circumstance, God has put you in this spot for this period of time and His timing is perfect and He's never wrong."

Regarding family, Barnhart says his administrative assistant includes his children's activities into his demanding schedule. "I'm no different than any dad or mom that would want to see their kid play," said Barnhart. "I catch red-eye (flights) or I'll catch the first flight out in the morning to make sure I have a chance to watch my kids compete." Barnhart and his wife, Connie, whom he met at Ottawa University, have two daughters and a son. Kirby plays volleyball at Eastern Kentucky University, while Blaire and Scott live at home. Barnhart also takes his family along to bowl games and other events to make sure they enjoy the experience with him.

Barnhart has been in college athletics administration for 26 years and has worked at six institutions. He says he doesn't know how long he'll remain in the business, but he quickly points out that he doesn't want to burn out or fade out. "I think you've got to find the balance somewhere in the middle," said Barnhart. "If you're burning out, obviously, you don't last very long. If you fade out, obviously, you're drifting off into the sunset and not doing what you're supposed to do."

Barnhart says he very much values his Ottawa University experience and still implements the lessons learned both in and out of the classroom. He says the academic experience was wonderful and he really learned the value of hard work given all of the opportunities he had, such as being the editor of the student newspaper, working in the sports information office, being a DJ and sports announcer, among other things. Barnhart says because OU is such a small, intimate and friendly place, he learned to value relationships extremely well.

And he's certainly developed a lot of relationships throughout his career "There's not a city that we go into that we don't know somebody," said Barnhart. "You can lose your wallet in town and have a friend that you can go bunk up with."