Mitch Barnhart will receive 2022 NFF John L. Toner Award

Mitch Barnhart is going to have to make some more room his the trophy case. The Kentucky director of athletics will receive this year’s John L. Toner Award. Distributed by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame, the award shines light on college football’s top administrators.

“For two decades, Mitch Barnhart has skillfully guided Kentucky as one of the foremost leaders in collegiate athletics,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “He is committed to ensuring Wildcat student-athletes have success both on and off the field. We are pleased to honor him with the 2022 NFF John L. Toner Award in recognition of his distinguished career.”

Barnhart will receive the award Dec. 6 at the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. The 2019 Athletic Director of the Year has served on the Men’s Basketball Selection Committee and the CFB Playoff Committee.

First presented in 1997, the John L. Toner Award recognizes athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. The award is named in honor of its inaugural recipient, the late John L. Toner who was a former athletics director and football coach at Connecticut. Toner, an NCAA President from 1983-85, joined the NFF Board in 1988 and served as the vice chairman from 2000-2008.

Congrats to Barnhart. Now let’s build some new facilities for Mark Stoops and John Calipari.