Oklahoma Tabs Roger Denny as New AD, Ushering in a New Era for Sooners Athletics
NORMAN - For the first time in more than 25 years, Oklahoma needed a new leader at the helm of its athletics department - and they weren’t about to take that decision lightly.
When longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione announced his retirement plans last summer, the Sooners faced a rare and pivotal moment. Castiglione’s legacy is nothing short of iconic in Norman, having overseen a golden era of success across multiple sports since taking the job in 1998. Replacing a figure like that isn’t just about filling a position - it’s about preserving a standard and preparing for the future.
University president Joseph Harroz Jr. made that clear on Wednesday.
“This is a sacred position,” Harroz said. “You have to honor what this is. It fundamentally matters.”
And with that mindset guiding the process, Oklahoma has officially named Roger Denny as the 12th athletics director in program history. Denny, a career attorney and most recently the deputy athletics director at Illinois, will begin his new role on February 15, pending approval from the university’s Board of Regents.
The hire is the culmination of a months-long search that stretched far beyond résumés and references. This wasn’t just about finding someone to manage budgets and oversee facilities. The landscape of college athletics is changing fast - from NIL to conference realignment to the ever-evolving transfer portal - and Oklahoma wanted someone who could navigate the chaos while keeping the Sooners at the forefront.
To get there, Harroz and the search committee - led by athletics chair and special advisor Randall Stephenson, along with Jake Rosenberg and The Athlete Group - took a step back and asked a fundamental question: What does the job of athletic director look like in 2026?
That question shaped the entire process.
“Can we truly be innovative to meet this moment in college athletics, understanding what the disruption is?” Harroz said.
In Denny, Oklahoma believes it has found that answer.
Though he comes from a legal background, Denny has spent the last four years immersed in the day-to-day operations of a major athletic department at Illinois. That experience, combined with his understanding of the legal, financial, and strategic complexities of modern college sports, positioned him as the right fit for a job that’s grown exponentially in scope since Castiglione first took the reins.
Now, Denny steps into a role that carries both immense pressure and immense opportunity. The Sooners are in the midst of a transition to the SEC, a move that will reshape the competitive landscape for every program on campus. The stakes are high, and the expectations higher.
But if Oklahoma’s leadership is right about Denny, he’s not just ready for the challenge - he’s built for it.
This is more than just a new chapter for Sooner athletics. It’s a reset at a critical moment, and Roger Denny now holds the pen.