Greg Sankey releases statement on retirement, legacy of Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione

The Oklahoma Sooners had their athletic future shaken with the recent news that athletic director Joe Castiglione had made the decision to retire. Now, while the Sooners look toward what’s coming ahead, the rest of college sports are remembering what ended up being a legendary career.

One of those looking to honor Joe Castiglione is SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. He would release a statement, praising the legendary AD and sharing some thoughts on his legacy at Oklahoma.

“For more than three decades, Joe Castiglione has been a pillar of leadership in college athletics,” Greg Sankey said. “Personally, he is a friend and was an invaluable partner during Oklahoma’s transition into the SEC. His steady hand, practical approach and thoughtful nature have long benefited not only the University of Oklahoma but also the broader landscape of college sports. I look forward to working with Joe during the year ahead, and with the leadership at the University of Oklahoma for many years to come.”

Joe Castiglione first came to Oklahoma in 1998 to be the school’s athletic director. He had previously held the same role at Missouri. Early in his tenure, Castiglione hired Bob Stoops to lead the football program. That would turn out to be a national championship move. It was one of 25 national championships Oklahoma won across all sports under Castiglione in what turned out to be an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame career.

Of course, the majority of the time that Castiglione spent at Oklahoma was spent in the Big 12. He would oversee the transition to the SEC, to work alongside Greg Sankey. In 2021, that move was announced before being executed in the 2024 season.

Joe Castiglione will be moving to an athletic director emeritus role at Oklahoma. That transition is going to be an interesting one, and how that looks was recently reported on by ESPN.

“Castiglione will remain in the job through the end of the year before taking an emeritus role. He says he wanted to give the school ‘plenty of runway’ to search for his successor,” ESPN’s Eli Lederman reported. “Castiglione says he plans to remain in his emeritus role through to July 2028, when he’ll formally retire after 30 years in the school’s athletic department.”

To replace Joe Castiglione, he school’s Executive Advisor, Randall Stephenson, is going to begin the search for a new athletic director. He’ll have plenty of options available. Still, even at a highly successful athletic department, making the right hire is going to be vital.