Tomorrow morning, Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione will announce publicly that he has decided to retire on June 30, 2028, a date that will be just over 30 years since joining the University of Oklahoma. This moment is not a farewell. Joe will continue to serve as Athletics Director into the coming year and after that, he will assume the role of Emeritus Athletics Director, advising on the search for his replacement and ongoing athletics projects, as well as continuing in a fundraising capacity. A search for his replacement will be led by Randall Stephenson.
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.
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.
Under Joe’s leadership, Sooner Magic has thrived. Since his arrival in 1998, OU has won a total of 26 national championships and 117 conference championships, added four additional Heisman trophies, and celebrated countless scoring records and winning streaks. He has recruited and retained some of the winningest coaches in college athletics history and transformed the physical footprint of our stadiums and arenas. Equally, if not more important, Joe insisted that in-the-classroom performance be just as important as wins on the fields or courts. As a result, our student-athletes have record-breaking graduation rates, including a 3.31 cumulative GPA this past Spring.
These successes are all-the-more impressive given that Joe has led OU Athletics through some of the most uncertain and disruptive periods in college athletics. He also has ensured that OU’s Athletics Department be consistently financially self-sustaining – one of the only Athletics Directors in the Big 12 or SEC who can claim this feat. And his leadership during OU’s entry into the SEC will never be forgotten.
Personally, I have worked with Joe nearly all of my career at OU. In addition to colleagues, we have become personal friends, watching each other’s children grow and celebrating life’s milestones. I am hard pressed to think of a man of greater character.
Joe, the University of Oklahoma and its legions of fans owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. We will celebrate you in numerous ways throughout the coming year. But for now, congratulations to you, your wife Kristen, and your sons, Joe and Jonathan, on announcing this next chapter.
Boomer!
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
