Barnhart made the right call

University of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart deserves a pat on the back. A year after following his gut feeling to retain football coach Rich Brooks, Barnhart is all smiles as the Wildcats prepare for their first postseason appearance in seven years, a path that began last year when Barnhart kept Brooks as coach.

Barnhart isn’t one to brag about the decision he made and doesn’t want anyone to think that he told you so.

Barnhart made the correct call last year to keep his first major coaching hire on the payroll at UK for at least one more season.

At the time, Barnhart strayed away from popular opinion and made a decision based on what he thought was best for the entire program at the time.

However, at the same time, retaining a coach with a losing record didn’t appear to be a logical decision for many. However, with the mask of probation removed from the program and most of Brooks’ recruits in place, Barnhart rolled the dice.

Barnhart gave Brooks one more chance to prove that he could lead the Wildcats from the cellar to higher dwelling places in the Southeastern Conference.

Brooks did just that and had the Wildcats within a touchdown of finishing in second-place in the SEC East behind Florida.

In addition to being welcomed back for another season by Barnhart, Brooks made the right move during fall workouts by naming Andre Woodson the team’s starting quarterback before the team’s season opener against Louisville.

The decision is one that has paid off in dividends, not only for Brooks, but for Kentucky’s entire offensive unit.

Although some Kentucky followers remain somewhat skeptical of Brooks’ potential as a coach, Brooks is deserving of an extension. Barnhart and Brooks will likely iron out a deal once the season has officially been completed.

The only possible sticking point could be Brooks’ ties to the West Coast. The University of Oregon will be searching for an athletics director, which could send Brooks back to the school where he began his head coaching career.

Brooks’ turnaround in the conference is second to Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, who faced similar circumstances as Kentucky’s coach months before the Razorbacks’ trek to the BCS began last August.

Nutt guided Arkansas to a 10-2 record during the regular season and led the Razorbacks to this weekend’s SEC championship game.

A year ago, Nutt and the Hogs finished with a 4-7 record.

Both coaches are now the most talked about in the league, in a good way.