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NORMAN — More than six months after Joe Castiglione announced his future retirement as athletic director, Oklahoma appears to have found his successor.
The Sooners are targeting Illinois deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer Roger Denny, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Friday. If hired, Denny brings to Norman longtime legal experience with nearly 15 years as an attorney. He arrived at Illinois in 2021 from the St. Louis office of national law from Spencer Fane LLP, where he had been a partner since 2015.
Denny is expected to replace Castiglione, who will assume the role of athletics director emeritus until retiring June 2028.
Denny has been involved with athletics for over four years at Illinois as a sport administrator and provided oversight for the Fighting Illini football program. In his role as COO, he supervised the department’s internal operations, including the business office, facilities and capital projects, human resources, data and business intelligence and sports technology units.
CARLSON: Go inside OU gymnastics' expanded facility where every detail is 'very intentional'
Denny’s expected hiring reflects the dramatic transformation of college sports in recent years, from the transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) deals to direct revenue sharing with athletes.
At OU, Denny will oversee an athletic department with 19 men’s and women’s varsity sports in the SEC.
Denny is expected to take over at OU after leading initiatives focused on revenue operations roles, including corporate sponsorships and licensing. During his four years with Illinois, Denny also oversaw public facilities, housing, parking and athletics camps and clinics.
Denny attended Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University and Southeast Missouri State University.
Denny’s background is all the more relevant as major college sports adjust to a new frontier.
Late in fall 2024, Harroz called on former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to help the university through an unparalleled period of change. What started as a one-month, voluntary, part-time role soon evolved into something much more.
Harroz’s initial request was for Stephenson to independently review the university’s budget ensuring its financial health, but his role quickly expanded to athletics.
More: Aaliyah Chavez, OU women's basketball are 'back' after OT upset win vs South Carolina
Enter Jim Nagy, OU’s football general manager. Stephenson took a plane to Florida and interviewed several candidates for a unique position in college athletics — a true GM under a professional structure.
Following Stephenson’s successful hire in Nagy and longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione’s imminent retirement, Harroz couldn’t think of anyone better to spearhead the Sooners’ search for a new AD.
“What do we need in light of where this industry is going?” Stephenson told The Oklahoman back in August. “It's a very different cat than me, all right, and (Harroz) and I have very different skill sets, and we needed a different skill set. And that's what happened 20 years ago when Joe (Castiglione) came in.
“It's really what's happening here again, with this hire, because this industry is going in a very different direction than it's been over the last 10 years.”
Now it falls to Denny to steer OU forward. OU has not responded to requests for comment.
Denny’s expected appointment ends a national search led by Stephenson and supported by The Athlete Group and a 12-member committee representing key areas across the university.
This article will be updated.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma targeting Illinois deputy Roger Denny as next AD, per report
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The Sooners are targeting Illinois deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer Roger Denny, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Friday. If hired, Denny brings to Norman longtime legal experience with nearly 15 years as an attorney. He arrived at Illinois in 2021 from the St. Louis office of national law from Spencer Fane LLP, where he had been a partner since 2015.
Denny is expected to replace Castiglione, who will assume the role of athletics director emeritus until retiring June 2028.
Denny has been involved with athletics for over four years at Illinois as a sport administrator and provided oversight for the Fighting Illini football program. In his role as COO, he supervised the department’s internal operations, including the business office, facilities and capital projects, human resources, data and business intelligence and sports technology units.
CARLSON: Go inside OU gymnastics' expanded facility where every detail is 'very intentional'
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Denny’s expected hiring reflects the dramatic transformation of college sports in recent years, from the transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) deals to direct revenue sharing with athletes.
At OU, Denny will oversee an athletic department with 19 men’s and women’s varsity sports in the SEC.
Denny is expected to take over at OU after leading initiatives focused on revenue operations roles, including corporate sponsorships and licensing. During his four years with Illinois, Denny also oversaw public facilities, housing, parking and athletics camps and clinics.
Denny attended Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University and Southeast Missouri State University.
Denny’s background is all the more relevant as major college sports adjust to a new frontier.
Late in fall 2024, Harroz called on former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to help the university through an unparalleled period of change. What started as a one-month, voluntary, part-time role soon evolved into something much more.
Harroz’s initial request was for Stephenson to independently review the university’s budget ensuring its financial health, but his role quickly expanded to athletics.
More: Aaliyah Chavez, OU women's basketball are 'back' after OT upset win vs South Carolina
You must be registered for see images
Enter Jim Nagy, OU’s football general manager. Stephenson took a plane to Florida and interviewed several candidates for a unique position in college athletics — a true GM under a professional structure.
Following Stephenson’s successful hire in Nagy and longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione’s imminent retirement, Harroz couldn’t think of anyone better to spearhead the Sooners’ search for a new AD.
“What do we need in light of where this industry is going?” Stephenson told The Oklahoman back in August. “It's a very different cat than me, all right, and (Harroz) and I have very different skill sets, and we needed a different skill set. And that's what happened 20 years ago when Joe (Castiglione) came in.
“It's really what's happening here again, with this hire, because this industry is going in a very different direction than it's been over the last 10 years.”
Now it falls to Denny to steer OU forward. OU has not responded to requests for comment.
Denny’s expected appointment ends a national search led by Stephenson and supported by The Athlete Group and a 12-member committee representing key areas across the university.
This article will be updated.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma targeting Illinois deputy Roger Denny as next AD, per report
Continue reading...
