Twelve Oklahoma athletic luminaries are publicly enshrined in bronze statuary in and around the Norman campus. Joe Castiglione should make it a baker's dozen.
The big news in Norman, Oklahoma, this month was the retirement announcement by longtime Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. This is Castiglione's 28th year as head of the University of Oklahoma athletic program, making him the longest to serve in that position in school history. He is also the only one of the previous 10 OU ADs not to have played or coached at Oklahoma previously.
It's not really a question of if, but when, Castiglione will have a bronze sculpture dedicated in his honor. You could easily make the argument that he might be the most deserving of all.
Castiglione deserves a statue on OU's campus
Six of the 12 bronze statues that are currently in place honor Oklahoma players and coaches who achieved greatness during Castiglione's time as the Sooners' AD. In addition, Oklahoma captured 26 of its 45 all-time national championships under his leadership, as well as 117 team regular-season and conference championships.
During Castiglione's tenure, Oklahoma has been to 26 consecutive bowl games, second-most in the country, men's and women's basketball have made five Final Four appearances and produced three National Players of the Year. The softball team has made 18 trips to the Women's College World Series and won eight national titles. The women's gymnastics program has won seven of the last 11 national championships and the OU men five national crowns and men's golf won a national title in 2017.
Maybe a couple of statues would be in order.
At the press conference announcing Castiglione's retirement plans, president Joseph Harroz Jr. was asked about a future statue honoring Castiglione.
"There'll be more news on this front," Harroz said. "There is going to be an honor. It will likely be in bronze, and we’ll address that it at a later time. But it is important. And you've got to recognize those great leaders."
The bigger question might be where do you place the commemorative statue? The seven Oklahoma Heisman winners have a park dedicated to them east of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The four greatest head coaches in team in Sooner football history have their own area south of the Switzer Center, and Patty Gasso's iconic statue is appropriately placed outside the entrance to Love's Field, the softball stadium she helped build.
Wherever they choose to place Castiglione's inevitable bronze figure, it should be in a highly prominent place on the OU camps.
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