Roger Denny named new OU athletic director, will report directly to president

Randall Stephenson steps back into advisory role as chair of athletics

Jan. 28, 2026 at 3:55pm

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Roger Denny has been named the new athletic director at the University of Oklahoma, taking over from Randall Stephenson who will now serve in an advisory role as chair of athletics. Denny, who previously worked as deputy athletic director at the University of Illinois, will report directly to OU president Joseph Harroz Jr. as the university looks to continue modernizing its athletic department and facilities.

Why it matters

The transition of power at the top of OU's athletic department comes at a critical time, as the university looks to maintain its status as a "blue blood" program in the era of increased parity in college sports. Denny's unconventional background as a lawyer and his experience helping turn around the Illinois program could provide a fresh perspective as OU navigates challenges like stadium renovations and adapting to the changing landscape of collegiate athletics.

The details

Denny will take over the duties of overseeing the football program from Stephenson, who had been serving in an unpaid role as chair of football and special advisor to the president. Harroz said Stephenson will now shift to a more advisory "governance" role, providing external input to help Denny and the president make the best decisions for the athletic department. Denny's vision for the department aligns with the changes Stephenson helped implement, including hiring football general manager Jim Nagy to separate evaluation and recruiting from the coaching staff.

  • Randall Stephenson was called on 15 months ago to help the university in an unpaid role as chair of football and special adviser to the president.
  • The OU Board of Regents has already approved the design for west side stadium renovations, with construction anticipated to commence following the 2027 season.

The players

Roger Denny

The new athletic director at the University of Oklahoma, who previously served as deputy athletic director at the University of Illinois.

Randall Stephenson

The former AT&T CEO who had been serving in an unpaid role as chair of football and special adviser to the OU president, and is now shifting to a more advisory "governance" role.

Joseph Harroz Jr.

The president of the University of Oklahoma.

Jim Nagy

The football general manager hired by Stephenson, whose model of separating evaluation and recruiting from the coaching staff has inspired change in the industry.

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What they’re saying

“His role is advisory. It's a governance component that is very different from the operating work he was doing for football. We have the AD, he reports directly to me, and Randall is in a governance role as chair of athletics and special adviser to the two of us.”

— Joseph Harroz Jr., President, University of Oklahoma

“They're inspiring a lot of change around the industry, which is exactly what Oklahoma should do. It's a slightly different model than what I'm accustomed to, but ultimately, the principles behind it are very similar.”

— Roger Denny, Athletic Director, University of Oklahoma

What’s next

The OU Board of Regents will consider Denny's contract at an upcoming meeting.

The takeaway

Denny's unconventional background and experience helping turn around the Illinois program could provide a fresh perspective as OU looks to maintain its status as a "blue blood" program in the changing landscape of college sports, while also overseeing major stadium renovation projects.