LEXINGTON, KY. ? Kentucky hired Oregon State’s Mitch Barnhart as athletic director Monday, hoping he can help a program stung by turmoil off the field and failed expectations on it.

“He came into the interview with a manila folder and had written on it a plan of what he thought needed to be done at the University of Kentucky,” school president Lee Todd said. “I was really impressed by that.”

The position was vacant since March 5, when Larry Ivy resigned.

“The job has a tremendous set of challenges, but I’m looking forward to tackling those,” Barnhart said.

In January, Kentucky’s sports program was put on three years’ probation by the NCAA and its football team was banned from a bowl appearance and lost scholarships because of dozens of recruiting violations under former coach Hal Mumme.

The football team went 4-18 over the past two seasons.

At OSU, the 42-year-old Barnhart hired former NFL and University of Miami coach Dennis Erickson to turn around the football team.

Barnhart also helped Oregon State’s athletic department trim its $12 million debt to about $4.5 million.

Todd said Kentucky gave Barnhart a seven-year contract worth $375,000 per year plus as much as $150,000 annually in incentives.