Kentucky, Louisville ADs reject possibility of taking UT job

The athletic directors at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville say they have no interest in taking the same job at the University of Tennessee.

Kentucky’s Mitch Barnhart and Louisville’s Tom Jurich each told The Louisville Courier-Journal that they don’t plan on replacing Mike Hamilton in overseeing Volunteers sports. Barnhart, who took over at Kentucky in 2002, worked at Tennessee from 1986-98 before a four-year stint at Oregon State. Hamilton resigned on Tuesday amid growing criticism for multiple coaching turnovers and an NCAA investigation that resulted in the charge of 12 violations.

The university is merging the men’s and women’s athletics departments. Longtime women’s AD Joan Cronan was named the interim vice chancellor and director of athletics, overseeing all sports.