After news broke Monday morning of Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione's impending retirement, OU president Joseph Harroz Jr. released the first official statement from OU.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Castiglione will retire from his full-time role as OU's AD during the upcoming 2025-26 school year. According to Thamel, Castiglione will still stick around OU as athletic director emeritus. Harroz's later statement confirmed Thamel's report, plus some new details.
"As I have reflected on Joe's decision in the days since he told me, I am filled with both gratitude and respect at the legacy he will leave at this university and the indelible mark he has made in the world of intercollegiate athletics," Harroz wrote in his statement. "From my seat as university president, the role of an Athletics Director is about so much more than managing a university's athletics programs. An Athletics Director is at the helm of some of the most visible aspects of the university, championing our nation's ingrained culture of college athletics, instilling a championship mindset, mentoring coaches and students alike, and showcasing our university on a world-wide stage to the millions who watch and cheer for our Sooners.
"There's a reason Joe has been called the Best Athletics Director in the Country: Because no one has done it better."
Joseph Harroz Jr. releases statement about athletic director future
In the email, Harroz mentioned Castiglione's official retirement date as June 30, 2028. Castiglione will remain as OU's AD to start the 2025-26 academic year, then serve as Emeritus Athletics Director until his retirement.
Harroz also announced that Randall Stephenson will lead the search for the Sooners' next athletic director. OU announced in December that Stephenson would volunteer as Executive Advisor to the President and the Athletics Director. Stephenson, an OU alum, is a former CEO of AT&T.
Stephenson has had his hands in the sports world before. Even during his time as AT&T's CEO, he oversaw the purchase of DirecTV, which also included initiatives like NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Red Zone and gaining rights, through Turner Sports, to broadcast the likes of NBA on TNT, MLB Playoffs and NCAA March Madness. Plus, there was the purchase of naming rights for AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
OU will host a press conference at 9 a.m. CT Tuesday, when Castiglione will publicly announce his decision. Harroz and Board of Regents Chair Anita Holloway are also expected to speak.
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