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BREAKING: After three month investigation, UK fires all four cheerleading coaches

Published

6 years ago

May 18, 2020

Normally the only news we hear surrounding the Kentucky cheerleading program is about success and national championships. This morning, we got a totally different kind of news.

The University of Kentucky announced that they would be firing all four cheerleading coaches.

A three-month investigation found the coaching staff and administrative advisor failed to provide reasonable oversight during off-campus events, where inappropriate conduct by members of the cheerleading squad included hazing activities, alcohol use and public nudity.

The investigation also found careless oversight and poor judgment by T. Lynn Williamson, who served as the cheerleading program’s advisor for four decades. Williamson, whose primary university job was principal deputy general counsel, retired days after learning of the investigation and being directed to have no contact with the cheerleading squad.

“A commitment we make and renew every day at the University of Kentucky is that the success of our students is at the center of everything that we do. But for that sentiment to be more than words, we must always act in ways that honor that commitment — especially when we discover rare instances where those who supervise and guide our students don’t meet the standards of integrity we expect of each other. This is one of those times,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “The University of Kentucky has built the nation’s premier collegiate cheerleading program. But regrettably, the integrity of the program has been compromised by inappropriate behavior by some squad members on off-campus trips and by lax oversight by the program’s coaches and advisor.”

The investigation also uncovered potential conflicts of interest for two members of the coaching staff who ran gymnastics businesses that employed members of the cheerleading squad and the advisor, who hired students and coaches to perform work at his home. The Office of Internal Audit is reviewing these and other financial practices of the cheerleading squad.

“The advisor and the coaches failed to stop a culture of hazing, alcohol use and public nudity at off-campus activities where they were present,” said Eric N. Monday, UK’s executive vice president for finance and administration. “Our students deserve more responsible leadership and the University of Kentucky demands it.”

Monday said he has assigned oversight of the cheerleading program to University of Kentucky Athletics to provide more rigorous control and accountability.

Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart made the decision to discharge the cheerleading head coach and remove the assistant coaches from any association with the program consistent with the conclusions of multiple reports, including those by the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, by the Office of Student Conduct, and a jointly authored report that included input from an expert outside UK with expertise in employment law.

Barnhart has directed Sandy Bell, executive associate athletics director to lead the program, including the hiring of a new coaching staff. A national search will be conducted for a new coach.

“This must be a championship-level program both on and off the court and playing fields,” Barnhart said. “And as with all our sports, that will be our goal — every day.”

UK’s cheerleading program has won 24 national championships in the past 35 years and developed hundreds of outstanding students.

Monday said the investigation began in early February after a call from a family member of a cheerleader alleging inappropriate conduct by squad members and inadequate oversight by coaches during off-campus trips.

University leaders acted early in the investigation to increase oversight and limit contact between the employees under investigation and cheerleaders.

The three-month process included interviews with more than 60 students, coaches and administrators in the cheerleading program. UK Provost David W. Blackwell said the review found:

Coaches knew or reasonably should have known of inappropriate conduct by cheerleaders and failed to take sufficient steps to address the conduct;

During a team retreat at Lake Cumberland, some cheerleaders performed gymnastics routines that including hurling their teammates from a dock into the water while either topless or bottomless. The routines, known as “basket tosses,” were done at the direction of other members of the squad and within the view of at least some of the coaches;
Coaches allowed cheerleading alumni to bring boats and alcohol to the retreat, where some cheerleaders were partially naked and/or drinking while riding on boats;

Coaches did not confiscate alcohol brought to the retreat by some squad members or intervene to stop students from consuming alcohol. Several squad members became so intoxicated they required medical treatment; and
During a cheerleading camp in Tennessee, some cheerleaders were directed by other members of the squad to perform lewd chants and wear outfits that did not include underwear.

The investigation found no evidence of sexual assault or sexual misconduct during these trips.

“We place the safety and health of our students above all other priorities as a university,” Blackwell said. “We cannot truly have a championship cheerleading program if we do not protect the health, safety and well-being of our students.”

As UK Athletics takes control of the program, Bell said inappropriate behavior by the cheerleading squad will not be allowed.

“The annual retreat will be eliminated, and all off-campus trips will be closely supervised,” Bell said. “Cheerleading squad members will be held to the same standards as all our student athletes. It’s a new day for UK cheerleading.”

Athletics officials are meeting today with current members of the current squad to share the news and discuss the timeline for hiring and tryouts.

UK Athletics will immediately begin the national search for a new head coach, who will be part of the selection of assistant coaches and the 2020-21 team members this summer.

The investigation reports and other documents can be accessed here.

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Bat Cats Fail Season Sweep Over Louisville, Lose 14-10 on the Road

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2026

Kai McClelland

Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

With a beautiful evening present just down the road in Louisville, KY, the Kentucky Wildcats (26-13, 8-10 SEC) faced off against the Cardinals (23-18, 7-11 ACC) in a Tuesday evening matchup, resulting in a 14-10 win for the ugly red.

The last time we saw these two teams square up, the blue and white defended home field with a 4-2 win, led by none other than the dudes on the mound. Holding its rivals hitless through 6.1 innings and taking a three-run lead in the sixth inning, Kentucky sent Louisville back home and earned a feel-good dub for the Big Blue Nation.

Luke Lawrence and Jayce Tharnish would hit back-to-back singles to start this game, but their teammates would fail to bring them in with two outs to work with. Looking back, the Bat Cats would’ve liked to have some runs there, as Louisville would go up 2-0 in the same inning.

Nick Mingione would step in after Will Marcy attempted to make a grab near the Louisville dugout, eventually reviewed for interference and ending a bases-loaded scenario.

Freshman Braxton Van Cleave would go yard for his second big blue bomb of the season and cut the lead in half, but Kentucky would cycle through two more pitchers after Ben Cleaver, allowing another run for the Cardinals in the same inning.

All momentum would shift Kentucky’s way quickly in the top of the third, due in part to a double from Lawrence that brought in Tyler Bell and a three-run homer from Ethan Hindle, giving the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they would commit two costly errors in the bottom of the third, allowing the Cardinals to score three more runs and retake the lead just like that. Louisville would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth due to walk city on the mound, scoring five unanswered runs.

Mingione would get hype for Tharnish, who doubled and balked his way in for a run in the fifth, then losing his mind even more when Ryan Schwartz hit a deep left-field laser.

Now trailing 8-7 in the top of the sixth, Bell would take a bump for his team with a HBP, advance to second on a wild pitch and eventually score on a groundout, tying the game at 8-8.

From that point on, it would be nothing but the Cards, as the hits, walks and runs kept pouring like a beer mug on a Saturday night. Kentucky would attempt a late surge, but the deficit would appear to be too overwhelming in enemy territory.

Up next, Kentucky will travel down to good ole Columbia, South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks (20-22, 5-13 SEC) from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26. The first game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear Publicly Criticizes Creation of $1 Million Job for Exiting Athletic Director, “Has No Defined Duties”

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear publicly criticizes University of Kentucky leadership for creation of "$1 million job that has no defined duties" for exiting Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart.

IMAGN

Tensions are rising in Lexington.

Not only are fans growing frustrated with Kentucky basketball’s roster-building efforts, but the Governor is now publicly questioning the University’s leadership.

Andy Beshear released a sharply worded statement on Tuesday, raising concerns not only about athletics but broader governance across the institution.

“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky. My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty. I’ve been told that, despite previously saying the dean must be approved by UK’s Board of Trustees, the university has shifted and now states that approval is not needed. I worry that these actions are related to certain donors pushing partisan and undue outside influence onto the university. I hope students, faculty, trustees and the community attend this week’s board meetings and ask the tough questions that should be answered.”

While Andy Beshear did not name Mitch Barnhart directly in his statement, Barnhart is set to assume the newly created role of Executive-in-Residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative, carrying a base salary of $950,000, squarely aligning with Beshear’s criticism of “a new $1 million job that has no defined duties.”

The optics of Barnhart’s move are difficult to ignore.

A 2023 contract extension gave Barnhart the option to step down as athletics director and become a “Special Assistant to the President” as early as July 1, 2026, at $800,000 a year. Now, he is stepping into a new position that was created solely by University President Eli Capilouto. The lack of clarity around the decision to create the position, and the position itself, has brought criticism from fans and even top donors. Including Longtime supporter Brett Setzer, who has formally requested the University to reverse its decision.

Until those questions are answered, the noise surrounding the program isn’t going anywhere. Beshear has encouraged people to attend the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, April 24th.

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SERIES RECAP: Cats Drop Fifth Straight Series With 13-6 Loss to Vanderbilt

Published

4 days ago

April 19, 2026

Kelly Doherty

Ethan Rand | UK Athletics

Cats leave the ‘Dore’ wide open for a weekend of struggle.

Kentucky (26-12, 8-10 SEC) had started its regular season 18-2, but after losing four straight conference series, the Cats needed a spark of momentum. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t get that this weekend, as Vanderbilt (24-18, 9-9 SEC) would come to Lexington and raise their series skid to five straight.

Game 1: Kentucky Wins 5-2

The Cats’ series opener vs the Commodores did not start how they wanted it to, starting down 0-2 and losing head coach Nick Mingione from an ejection. Tyler Bell’s left field RBI would put them down just one, but it would take Kentucky freshman Braxton Van Cleave to walk it off in the ninth with a grand slam – a play that will be remembered all season.

Game 2: Vanderbilt Wins 9-8

Game two at Kentucky Proud Park was also really not the game the Cats wanted early. They would have to rotate to their third pitcher in the first inning, but the 7-2 hole they dug themselves into, the mid-game Bell ejection, and the Lexington rain that delayed the match were a laundry list of hurdles that Big Blue had to face Saturday evening.

Kentucky would start to dig out of that hole – turning the deficit to just one before the 9th – but the absence of Bell would make Big Blue Nation wonder if he would’ve made the difference, as they headed out of Proud Park with the series tied.

Bell would serve a mandatory one-game suspension for Sunday’s rubber match after chirping back at the Vanderbilt bench.

Game 3: Vanderbilt Wins 13-6

Despite the Cats being shorthanded for this SEC tiebreaker, they made the early offensive splash that they weren’t getting in the first two games. Neither team was able to capitalize early throughout the first four innings after loading the bases, but Kentucky’s plate discipline would give them the first two runs of the game.

This would be a lead Kentucky would keep until the Commodores redeemed theirselves in the 6th with a two-run homer from Colin Berczi and a grand slam from Will Hampton to put them up 7-3.

Safe to say the theme of this series for the Cats has been about “leaving the Dores’ wide open” for explosive plays and opportunities, as well as not capitalizing on their own; leaving 15 runners on base is a stat that will likely be a talking point during film study.

Another quick bomb from Vandy and sloppy infield play in the 9th would blow their chances and bring the Commodores out of the SEC loss column with an 13-6 win over Big Blue.

What’s Next?

Kentucky leaves this weekend series 26-12 (8-10 SEC), extending the SEC series losing streak to five straight. The Cats will go on the road to rematch Louisville on Tuesday, April 21 (7:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network), and will then take their spirits to Columbia for a series against a struggling South Carolina, starting on Friday, April 24 (6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network).

Follow KY Insider on socials to stay updated as the Wildcats look to wrap up the last month of their regular season on a high.