Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione to retire in 2028

Joe Castiglione, the University of Oklahoma’s esteemed Director of Athletics, is set to announce his retirement during a press conference on July 8, 2025, marking the end of a transformative tenure that has reshaped the university's athletic landscape since 1998.

Monday, July 7th 2025, 5:59 pm

By: Christian Hans

Credit: Associated Press

NORMAN, Okla. -

Joe Castiglione, the Director of Athletics at the University of Oklahoma, is reportedly set to retire in the coming months.

The University of Oklahoma said a press conference is set for Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 9 a.m. to officially announce Castiglione's future retirement.

In a letter to the OU community, University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr., said Castiglione's retirement date is June 30, 2028, which will mark just more than 30 years since Castiglione joined the University of Oklahoma.

After that, Castiglione will serve as Emeritus Athletics Director and will offer guidance on the search for his replacement, according to Harroz.

Pete Thamel, Senior College Football Writer for ESPN, first broke the news of Castiglione's retirement in a social media post on Monday morning.

>>> Joe Castiglione: Architect of Oklahoma's athletic renaissance

Thamel says Castiglione will retire from his full-time role during the upcoming school year.

Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit on the sidelines at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in September 2024.

Castiglione is currently the longest-tenured athletic director of major college sports, Thamel says, and upon the hiring of his successor, he will stay on at the university as athletic director emeritus.

Castiglione was previously the athletic director at the University of Missouri from 1994 to 1998 before arriving in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1998, along with the Sooners' newest head football coach at the time, Bob Stoops.

Bob Stoops - Joe Castiglione - April 2022 Former Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops and Athletic Director Joe Castiglione at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for the 2022 Spring Game.

Since Castiglione arrived at OU, the university has claimed 26 of its 45 national championships across various sports, including the 2000 national championship in football and four-straight Women's College World Series titles from 2021-2024.

"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," said President Harroz to the OU community.

News 9 and News On 6 will stream Tuesday's press conference from Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium online.

This is a developing story...