Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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 others are acknowledging what we have felt about him for a long time.