LeahBarnard

Leah Barnard is in her first season with the Kentucky football program as assistant director of recruiting. In her role, she assists with the planning and execution of on-campus recruiting operations, including official and unofficial visits, recruiting events, prospect communications and the day-to-day coordination of the program’s recruiting efforts.

A native of Lone Tree, Colorado, Barnard is no stranger to Kentucky Football. She began working in the program’s recruiting department as a student assistant in 2023 and steadily advanced through the organization while gaining valuable experience in recruiting operations. Her leadership, attention to detail and ability to coordinate complex events and logistics have made her a valuable asset to the Wildcats’ recruiting staff.

Barnard was promoted to recruiting operations assistant in March of 2026, where she coordinated travel, meals, itineraries and logistics for prospective student-athletes and their families. She also supported the recruiting operation through communication management, database maintenance and administrative coordination.

From August 2023 through March 2026, Barnard worked as a recruiting student assistant for the Wildcats. She assisted with official visits, Junior Days, camps and gameday recruiting events while maintaining recruiting databases and prospect information. She also supported the day-to-day operations of the recruiting office and helped ensure all recruiting activities complied with NCAA and Southeastern Conference regulations.

In addition to her experience with Kentucky Football, Barnard spent six years as a manager at Firehouse Subs in her hometown, where she oversaw daily restaurant operations, trained and supervised a 10-person staff, and managed scheduling, inventory and supply ordering.

Barnard graduated from UK in the spring of 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in management and marketing. She excelled in the classroom, earning Dean’s List honors every semester before graduating with a 3.867 cumulative GPA.