'Bittersweet': Oklahoma Softball's Patty Gasso Reacts to Roger Denny's Hire

Gasso is excited for what OU Athletics will become under new athletic director Roger Denny.

University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and head coach Patty Gasso watch a highlight video as fans, players, coaches and officials celebrate another National Championship for the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooner Women s Softball team on June 10, 2023 at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla. | STEVE SISNEY / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — Patty Gasso has some mixed feelings about the change in athletic directors at OU.

Gasso and Joe Castiglione shepherded the Sooners’ softball program to new heights over the last three decades, building it into a dynasty and each playing major roles in bringing Love’s Field to reality.

So Gasso is sad to see Castiglione go.

“It’s bittersweet,” the OU coach said Saturday at OU softball media day. “Joe and I had spent 30 years together. There’ve been good teams, and not-so-good times, hard conversations. I really grew with Joe a lot."

Denny was officially introduced as the new athletic director Wednesday during a cermony and press conference at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and his hiring was officially approved by the OU Board of Regents on Friday.

Gasso and Castiglione’s relationship grew beyond a boss-employee dynamic.

“I had to grow up to know that the AD is my counterpart,” Gasso said. “I could be a friend with an AD, it's not like you're here and you're here. We found that common ground, which is wonderful.”:

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Castiglione announced his retirement last summer, saying he would remain in the role until a successor was found.

"It's bittersweet to see this happen but anybody that retires, I'm like, 'Great,'" Gasso said.

Gasso said she was excited about Roger Denny’s future in the role.

“The first words he said to us when we were sitting as a coaching group, he talked about where he came from, which was really impressive to me,” Gasso said. “He came from not a lot and worked his way (up). He's talked about blue-collar, hard work, grind, head down."

Denny’s personality and background are much different than Castiglione’s.

“He doesn’t seem like he says a lot,” Gasso said. “He’s more of a doer.”

Not that Castiglione doesn’t get plenty done, but Denny isn’t quite as loquacious.

Denny and his wife toured Love’s Field and the softball facilities with Gasso recently.

“He doesn’t flash much,” Gasso said. “He’s just a normal, regular guy, which I love. I think he’s going to be a hard, hard worker. It just seems like we’re going toward more of a business.. That's the way college sports is going. He seems like a smart, no-nonsense but easygoing business man that’s going to take this program, OU Athletics, to another place."

Denny officially takes over as the Sooners' athletic director Feb. 15.

Published 8 hours ago | Modified 8 hours ago

Ryan Aber

Ryan Aber has been covering Oklahoma football for more than a decade continuously and since 1999 overall. Ryan was the OU beat writer for The Oklahoman from 2013-2025, covering the transition from Bob Stoops to Lincoln Riley to Brent Venables. He covered OU men's basketball's run to the Final Four in 2016 and numerous national championships for the Sooners' women's gymnastics and softball programs. Prior to taking on the Sooners beat, Ryan covered high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks and Oklahoma City Barons for the newspaper from 2006-13. He spent two seasons covering Arkansas football for the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas before returning to his hometown of Oklahoma City. Ryan also worked at the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the Muskogee Phoenix. At the Phoenix, he covered OU's national championship run in 2000. Ryan is a graduate of Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.