NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione announced Tuesday that the upcoming academic year will be his last in charge of the department, with an official retirement planned for June 2028.
Joined by his family and peers, the 67-year-old Castiglione spoke at a news conference to explain his decision to step down after 27 years of leadership.
“In the past couple of months, I’ve moved from a fleeting thought to some deep life reflections. We all do that from time to time, thinking about my career, my life journey, my family, my faith, I guess you could say life itself,” Castiglione said. “When is the right time? When is the right time to pass the baton? When is the best time to make an announcement like this? I’m not sure if it’s ever perfect or predictable, but they always say you’ll know.”
Castiglione will help the university with its search for a replacement during the 2025-2026 academic year before transitioning into a special projects role for a couple of years.
“I wanted to give the university plenty of runway to facilitate a search as I enter my final year as AD,” he said. “I’m really grateful they’ve asked that I’d stay on in a role for a couple of years, not only to help with the transition, but there’s some really special and key projects for our future here at Oklahoma that I’m going to be very proud to help the whole staff and the university at large see to fruition.”
The Sooners during Castiglione’s tenure won 26 national titles, nine of which belonged to men’s gymnastics and eight to women’s softball. In 2024, he helped orchestrate a move to the Southeastern Conference after 30 years of competing in the Big 12.
Oklahoma aims to find a successor who will build off his success and help guide the program through the revenue-sharing era in college sports. Board of Regents chair Anita Holloway acknowledged finding a replacement is no easy task.
“Needless to say, Joe is irreplaceable,’ Holloway said. “But one thing I will leave you with today is Sooner Nation, you have my and the entire Board of Regents’ personal commitment that we will make sure that we’re hiring the next best athletic director in the country. We want to continue the legacy that Joe Castiglione has set for us: a performance of integrity, and national championships.”
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