Mitch Barnhart on Cal vs. Stoops banter: "We'll get to the right spot."

Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart is confident any hard feelings between John Calipari and Mark Stoops will be resolved in short order.

One of four individuals inducted into the 2022 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame — he joined UK women’s varsity athletics pioneer Sue Feamster, former Louisville football star Michael Bush and former Harlem Globetrotter Dallas Thornton in this year’s class — Barnhart told reporters at his ceremony that he’s not yet sure if Calipari and Stoops have spoken since the public basketball vs. football blowup. He believes, though, any and all in-house frustrations will soon pass.

Why? Those inside the UK Athletics family are great people and they’re good at what they do, specifically Calipari and Stoops. A little banter won’t sink the ship.

“I don’t know (if they’ve spoken), I haven’t been around much,” Barnhart said. “Cal, when he came home from the Bahamas, I think he went to take some time with his family. I know Mark has been involved in practice and we’ve got a lot going on, so it’s hard to tell. I’ve been on the run, too. I’m sure we’ll get to the right spot and all of that.

“We’ve got a great group of people. Just because there’s a little fussin’ doesn’t mean that we’re not pretty good at what we do. We’ll get to the right spot.”

Mitch Barnhart was asked if Calipari and Stoops have talked since the football vs. basketball school remarks. He said he didn't know and everyone is busy. "Just because there's a little fussin doesn't mean that we're not pretty good at what we do and we'll get to the right spot." pic.twitter.com/7iNasKHiDs

— Tyler Greever (@Tyler_Greever) August 22, 2022

The “fussin'” Barnhart is referring to is the very public back-and-forth between Calipari and Stoops in recent weeks, which started when the former made it clear a renovated basketball practice facility was necessary. In the process, he referred to Kentucky as a “basketball school,” phrasing Stoops took as an unnecessary jab directed at his program.

“This is a basketball school; it’s always been that… No disrespect. Our football team, I hope they win games, 10 games, and go to bowls,” Calipari said in the Bahamas. “At the end of the day, that makes my job easier and it makes the job of all of us easier. But this is a basketball school. And so, we need to keep moving in that direction and doing what we’re doing.”

“Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC? #4straightpostseasonwins,” Mark Stoops tweeted shortly after, one of many social media posts he shared throughout the afternoon.

During his next media appearance, the Kentucky football coach took the podium and went on a seven-minute rant venting his frustrations on the matter.

“I don’t care what anybody says about their program. That’s not my business,” Stoops said. “That’s not my lane, but when you start talking about my program and others that we compete against — me? I don’t do that. I stay in my lane.

“… I embrace and love the history of our basketball program. I’m proud of it. I love it. I didn’t have that history. We understand we’re creating it. I also know people want to win now. I also know it’s my responsibility to get to the postseason and win. … We all know, this program wasn’t born on third base. Some may, but I can promise you this football team didn’t wake up on third base.”

Calipari took to social media shortly after, pointing out that he tried reaching out to Stoops but hadn’t heard back. From there, he was going to worry about his own team and block out the noise.

“I was told about comments Mark Stoops made in his press conference,” Calipari tweeted. “I reached out to Mark Thursday & will try again. Comparing our athletic dept. to others was my bad. I have supported Mark & the football team through good and bad. I will continue to support them & cheer them on.

“Now I’ll do what I’ve done for 30 years: Coach my team and block out the clutter.”

Calipari followed it up by admitting he “said the wrong thing” and things would get fixed with Stoops.

“You know, I said the wrong thing,” Calipari told LEX18’s Keith Farmer. “Mark and I will be fine. We’ll get back and talk about it. You know, I’m not real smart and sometimes it doesn’t come out the right way; that’s my Italian in me but we’ll be fine.”

One week later, Barnhart agrees: Calipari and Stoops will be fine.