One of the longest-tenured figures in major college athletics will be calling it a career.
Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione, who is about to enter his 28th season in his current role, will retire, the school revealed July 7. The university sent a media advisory to confirm Castiglione will “announce his planned retirement” at a press conference July 8.
The 67-year-old Castiglione will remain with the Sooners as athletic director emeritus after the hiring of his successor, according to The Oklahoman.
Castiglione, the longest-serving AD in major college sports, has led the Oklahoma athletic department since 1998, when he was hired by the Sooners following a five-year stint at Missouri. Over the past 27 years, he has established himself as one of the more decorated and heralded athletic directors in college sports, with Oklahoma teams racking up 26 national titles and 117 conference championships.
Perhaps his most impactful move came in 1999, when he hired then-Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops as the Sooners football coach after the firing of John Blake. Stoops led Oklahoma to a national championship in just his second season, won 10 Big 12 titles and went 191-48 during his 19-year run at the school. Under Stoops and his successor, Lincoln Riley, the Sooners have had four Heisman Trophy winners since 2003.
In men’s basketball, he hired Lon Kruger, who guided the Sooners to the 2016 Final Four. Two Oklahoma men’s basketball players, Blake Griffin in 2009 and Buddy Hield in 2016, won national player of the year honors during Castiglione’s time at the school.
Oklahoma has also been a national powerhouse in softball and women’s gymnastics with each program winning seven national titles since 2013.
More recently, Oklahoma moved conferences, leaving its longtime home, the Big 12, for the SEC ahead of the 2024-25 academic year.
The Sooners’ broader athletic success earned Castiglione athletic director of the year honors from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2000 and 2018.