Oklahoma targeting administrator from Big Ten school for next AD, per report
Published:
Oklahoma appears to have zeroed in on its next athletic director.
According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday, the school is targeting Illinois deputy athletic director and chief operating officer Roger Denny. A deal is expected to be completed “in the upcoming days,” according to Thamel. Denny would replace Joe Castiglione after a decorated 28-year run with the Sooners.
Castiglione announced last July that he planned to retire after the school year and transition to athletic director emeritus. With “Joe C” leading the Oklahoma athletic department, the Sooners won 26 national championships across the department, 117 conference titles, and rather seamlessly transitioned from the Big 12 to the SEC.
Denny will have big shoes to fill, as Castiglione is regarded as one of the best athletic directors in all of college athletics.
But, according to Thamel’s report, Oklahoma officials were attracted to Denny’s legal background as well as his work navigating NIL. As a practicing attorney before entering college athletics, Denny dealt with executive compensation and taxation, private equity and corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate development.
During his time as a partner at Spencer Fane LLP, Denny worked with several schools at the power conference level on collective bargaining, media rights contracts, and coaching contracts. According to subsequent reporting from SoonerScoop’s Georgia Stoia, this was the work that specifically attracted Oklahoma officials.
He was hired by Illinois in July 2021. During his time with the school, he provided direct oversight of the football program.
Denny graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southeast Missouri State, a law degree from St. Louis University, and an LLM degree in tax law from Washington University in St. Louis.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
