Oklahoma's Joe Castiglione named AD of the Year: With a Heisman Trophy winner, the recipient of both the Wooden and Naismith Awards and seven Big 12 Players of the Year, it has been a banner year for Oklahoma's Athletics Department. The leader of that department, Joe Castiglione, added to the hardware Thursday night when he was named Athletics Director of the Year at the Sports Business Awards in New York City. Several great individual efforts led to team success too with the football team playing for the national title, the women's basketball team reaching the Final Four and the men's basketball team advancing to the Elite Eight. Four Sooner teams won Big 12 Championships. "We couldn't be happier for Joe," said OU Head Football Coach Bob Stoops. "The effort he puts forth on behalf of this university, the coaches and the student-athletes is incredible. He's a tremendous administrator, but he's also a great friend to so many of us here. It's gratifying to see him rewarded nationally because other are acknowledging what we have felt about him for a long time. "President (David) Boren has made a lot of important decisions that resulted in growth and improvement at OU. Hiring Joe was certainly one of them. He deserves a lot of credit too for getting Joe in place here and in creating the environment that we all enjoy." Typically, Castiglione deflected the credit. "When you work with people like President Boren, our Board of Regents, our coaches, our athletics department staff and our student-athletes, you never feel worthy of something like this," he said. "This award reflects the collective efforts of many. I am honored to serve at a great university and really feel that I accepted the honor on behalf of the university." Castiglione has been a frequent honoree. In October 2004, the Bobby Dodd Foundation named him Athletics Director of the Year. (SoonerSports PR)
Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione named APR group chairman: Joe Castiglione, vice president for intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics at the University of Oklahoma, has been appointed by NCAA President Myles Brand to chair the Football Academic Progress Rate (APR) Working Group to review the academic progress rate as it pertains to Division I football student-athletes. APR just concluded its fourth year as the measuring device relative to academic performance. "This is an interesting, important and timely initiative" Castiglione said. "Dr. Brand has assembled a dynamic group of intercollegiate leaders to review the program and I feel privileged to be involved in the process. "The NCAA's academic reform package consists of enhanced academic standards, improved measurements of academic success and consequences for the academic performance of teams. This is an appropriate time to examine the impact this effort has had on the sport of football." OU President David L. Boren said, "This well deserved recognition of Joe Castiglione is also an affirmation that the University of Oklahoma is playing a leading role nationally in setting high standards for intercollegiate athletics." Castiglione said the group, which consists of presidents, chancellors, conference commissioners, faculty athletics representatives, athletics directors and head football coaches, already has split into sub-committees to begin the work. (SoonerSports PR)
Bob Stoops signed through 2013; In addition 50k Annual Raise: Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione and five of the Sooners' head coaches -- including football coach Bob Stoops and basketball coaches Sherri Coale and Jeff Capel -- had raises approved Wednesday by the university's Board of Regents. Stoops, already one of the nation's highest-paid coaches, received a $50,000 annual raise, increasing his guaranteed annual income to $2.55 million, and had his contract extended by two years to December 2013. Stoops, who guided the Sooners to the Big 12 Conference title last season, is eligible to receive a "stay bonus" of $3 million following the 2008 season if he remains at Oklahoma. His contract also is laden with incentives, including $150,000 if Oklahoma wins the national title. Oklahoma also increased the annual guaranteed money received by Brent Venables, Stoops' defensive coordinator, by $50,000 to $315,000. (AP/ESPN.com)
Oklahoma AD Castiglione avoids bringing outside help negotiating: Compensation for college head coaches -- especially the fast-escalating deals for football coaches -- is becoming an increasingly significant issue for NCAA schools, association president Myles Brand said Monday. During a session at the annual Street & Smith's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum here, Brand and other panelists were asked what they thought would be the most important story to follow in the upcoming year. "Coaches' contracts," said Brand, who added "agents have the upper hand" now and schools may need outside help negotiating these deals. Antitrust laws bar the NCAA from setting salary limits. "Negotiations have become tougher, and there's a lot of competition for the best coaches," Brand said in a separate interview Monday. "It might make sense for schools to have representation. They use outside counsel on other things." Hiring outside help can create problems, though, said Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione, whose football coach, Bob Stoops, is one of the nation's highest paid at $3.45 million this year. "It's human nature to want to avoid the hard-core aspects of negotiation," Castiglione said. "But it can hurt the employer-employee relationship." (In part from USA Today)
Oklahoma's Hartley edged by the 'ville's Carmody for Groza Award: Art Carmody of the University of Louisville football team won the Lou Groza Award yesterday as the nation's top collegiate kicker. The junior from Shreveport, La., made 20 of 23 field-goal attempts and all 57 conversion tries for a team-high 117 points. He holds the school career record with 46 field goals. The other finalists were Auburn's John Vaughn and Oklahoma's Garrett Hartley. "I knew that John and Garrett each had a great season," Carmody said. "Just sitting there and hearing my name, it was kind of a shock." (Louisville Courier-Journal)
AD Joe Castiglione plans to keep game at Cotton Bowl and same time: The future of the Red River Rivalry in Dallas might be a topic of considerable debate. Any thought of moving the kickoff to night, however, apparently isn't up for discussion. ABC pushed to move this year's game to its prime-time slot, only to find both schools opposed. "Quite candidly, I don't see a day when we'll agree to play this game at night," Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. "There are just too many characteristics that are important to the fans. And too many issues for us to address to have that game at night. "I believe the fans like it just where it is. And they have been a big part of making this game what it is. ... We feel like it's placed just perfectly -- 2:30 in the afternoon." (NewsOK.com)
Friendly wager between Oklahoma-Texas Governors: As per tradition, the governors of Texas and Oklahoma have made a friendly wager on the game. The governor whose team is on the losing end will donate a basket of goods made in his state to a charity selected by the winning governor. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was a yell leader at Texas A&M, issued this statement: "I have no doubt that Coach (Mack) Brown and the Longhorns will make it two in a row over the Sooners this Saturday in Dallas. Fortunately, OU's trip across the Red River won't be for nothing. They can get a look at the Longhorns' national championship trophy while they are in Texas." Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry made this prediction: "I have unwavering confidence that Coach Stoops and our Sooners will make Saturday a triumphant one for the crimson and cream." (Austin American-Statesman)
R. Smith back to practice: OU sophomore Reggie Smith returned to practice Wednesday. The starting strong safety missed two days of practice when a cut on his leg became infected. The cut was a turf burn suffered Sept. 16 at Oregon. The injury is not expected to affect Smith’s availability Saturday against Texas. (NewsOK.com)
