Roger Denny Reflects on the 'Extraordinary' Start to His Tenure at Oklahoma

Roger Denny couldn’t have imagined a better way to celebrate the start of the summer at Oklahoma.

OU’s new athletic director took in the Sooners’ second national title since he was hired in Omaha, as Skip Johnson’s baseball program followed K.J. Kindler’s national title with a championship of their own.

“I’m a little spoiled, that’s for sure,” Denny said on The Franchise Morning Show.

Former athletic director Joe Castiglione hired Johnson in Norman, but Denny has quickly grown to appreciate the OU baseball coach.

“It was extraordinary,” Denny said. “For it to be Skip, can’t happen to a better guy. It’s impossible to not root for that guy. If you can’t come around to cheer for Skip Johnson, I can’t help you.”

Denny was just one notable member of the OU athletics family who made their way to Omaha to support the Sooners.

Legendary OU football coaches Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops both made the trip, and current coach Brent Venables gave a pregame speech during the magical run.

Basketball coaches Porter Moser and Jennie Baranczyk were ever-present, as were players Xzayvier Brown and Sahara Williams.

Football stars John Mateer, Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke were also on the field after OU beat North Carolina for the title, joining thousands of fans who were in the stands to help cheer the team across the finish line.

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“It was incredible,” Denny said. “To have everyone show up and support Skip and the staff and all the players and be in the dugout — even on Sunday night coming out of that game, the support that was there in the dugout to lift all those guys up was cool to see and it really is… It’s a family around here and seeing the way athletes from different sports showed up and supported the athletes on the baseball team and the coaches in the other sports… That’s what family is all about. I’m so happy to have had a chance to be a part of it.”

Denny believes the outpouring of support from the fanbase will not go unnoticed across the country.

“The beauty of the College World Series is that it happens at a time of year where it really kind of has a market to itself a little bit,” Denny said. “I know the World Cup is going on, but certainly in college sports, you’ve got the spotlight to yourself. And so to be able to get all those folks out there and just remind everyone who we are as a program, I think, was really important. And to do it and come out of there with a trophy, you couldn’t script it any better than that.”

Now, Denny is looking forward to starting his first football season at the helm of Oklahoma athletics.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the start of the fall,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a lot to celebrate here at Oklahoma.”

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