Beyond the Scoreboard: Roger Denny, Southeast Missouri ’04
Lessons Roger Denny learned in the chapter continue to shape how he guides Oklahoma athletics
Photos courtesy of Oklahoma Athletics.
Roger Denny, Southeast Missouri ’04, started as the University of Oklahoma’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics on February 15, 2026. He is the university’s twelfth athletics director, following a successful career as a corporate attorney for nearly fifteen years before transitioning to college sports administration. He comes to Oklahoma from the University of Illinois, initially serving as chief operating officer and executive senior associate athletics director, and later earning the title of deputy director of athletics. Denny earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a law degree from St. Louis University, and an LLM in tax law from Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from North Carolina, he moved to Missouri when he was young. Denny and his wife, Alecia, have twin sons.
I found Phi Delta Theta going through Recruitment Week at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). Even though it was quite a while ago, I remember getting caught up in the excitement of that week and really connecting with a group of guys who lived in the dorm on my floor and were going through recruitment with Phi Delt. After meeting people from other fraternities, I felt Phi Delta Theta, both the organization and the chapter, was the best fit for me.
That bond we created was key later when the chapter had issues with the university. This tough period brought us together even more and galvanized us, especially my new member class. Our class had to step up to lead, manage the problems, and bring the chapter back in line with the Fraternity’s values. This difficult time, while it wasn’t fun or easy, really cemented our friendships, and I am grateful for these guys and for this experience.
Thankfully, we had plenty of good times as well, from kickball tournaments to formals where we dressed up, loaded onto a bus, and had a great night together. Even now, more than twenty years later, thinking about moments like these still makes me nostalgic. College was really one of the last opportunities to enjoy fellowship with a large group of people having a shared experience.
Facilitating Lifelong Memories
I see college sports similarly. At their best, they create rare moments when student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans are all working toward something larger than themselves. As vice president for intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics at the University of Oklahoma, I am proud to help create those moments.
That early experience in Phi Delta Theta taught me that leadership is often less about holding a title and more about helping a group find its way through uncertainty. Looking back, that lesson became the thread connecting my fraternity experience, my legal career, and my eventual move into college athletics.
My path to college athletics was not a straight line, but each step prepared me for the role. I graduated with a law degree, and the practice where I worked handled a great deal of business in the sports industry. As a lifelong sports fan, I enjoyed those cases, but college sports held a particular appeal. Its mission of creating educational opportunities for young people spoke to me because I am deeply grateful for what my own education allowed me to achieve. College athletics offered a way to bring together my belief in education and my love of sport. After reaching several early career goals, I began to wonder what else might be possible. When an opportunity arose to work in a role adjacent to college sports, I turned to mentors for guidance.
One of those mentors was Josh Whitman, the athletic director at the University of Illinois and a close friend. After Josh and I spoke, he offered me an opportunity to join him at Illinois—the chance to be part of a team was too much for me to pass up. I’m forever grateful that he gave me that break, and equally thankful that I didn’t listen to anyone who told me how crazy that idea would be. I learned so many lessons there that shape how I lead today.
Building Trust Through Communication
One of the keys to success in a leadership position in college athletics is communication: how you communicate, with whom, and when. I can directly tie building a foundation of my communication expertise to my undergraduate experience in Phi Delt, especially during that difficult season in the chapter. As chapter president, my role was to lead and act as a conduit between the chapter, the university, and our chapter adviser. I spent a lot of time with our adviser, fellow chapter brother, Father John Friedel, ’82. Having the structure that the Fraternity provided, and principles simple enough that everyone could understand and commit to them, taught me that leading with honesty and transparency was always the right decision. Learning how you tell the story back in the early 2000s is, I think, a big reason why I am sitting in the chair I am in today.
Counting My Blessings Daily
Even though I have only recently signed on at Oklahoma, there are days that I still can’t believe how fortunate I am to continue the great work of my predecessor, Joe Castiglione, Maryland ’79. He has been a tremendous source of inspiration and guidance throughout my transition, graciously sharing the knowledge he gained over twenty-eight years leading Oklahoma athletics. I take every opportunity to learn from him, and he continues to shape both me and the program here at OU.
For someone who has so many championships and successes under his belt, he is incredibly unselfish. His main concern is always the success of Oklahoma athletics. It is that attitude and leadership style that is really evident in the achievements of the coaches and student-athletes we have in the program. He not only put an extraordinary team together but also continued building them up and supporting them by mentoring and being a steady force for everyone to rely on. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t giving Joe a high level of credit for the success that our place and our programs have had.
Phi Delta Theta has a way of producing people who achieve at a high level without needing the spotlight. Neil Armstrong may be the most famous example, and Joe Castiglione is one of the most respected people in college athletics. What stands out about men like that, and what I hope is true of me, is their humility and gratitude. They understand that success is shared with the people who helped make it possible. That is a common thread I have noticed in this Fraternity, and it is a valuable lesson for undergraduates: no one gets through life alone, and accolades are meant to be shared.
I am so excited to carry on the history of Sooners’ excellent sports tradition. Whether it’s football, softball, women’s and men’s gymnastics, tennis, or golf, OU has a long history of success. What I find most inspiring, though, is that you don’t hear anyone talking about that lineage. The focus isn’t on self-congratulations over previous wins, but on the potential of what lies ahead and a real commitment to pushing, improving, and striving to be the best version of Oklahoma athletics. This mindset is, I believe, what sets the OU sports programs apart.
Helping the Next Generation Succeed
Beyond the tradition, what gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing what this opportunity means to so many of our students. Not everyone will have the chance to go to a school like Oklahoma, but because of their commitment and success in their pre-college athletic career, OU can offer them the potential for greater success down the line due to the program we have here. Everything in my life can be traced back to my educational experience, and the opportunity to provide that same experience to more than five hundred athletes in our care is something none of us here takes for granted.
I feel an obligation to help the next generation reach heights I have not reached, and for me, one measure of personal success is doing that for my children. I would not say I have fully reached that point yet, but the pursuit of it shapes my professional pride and ethics. Even a year ago, on October 8, the day before the search firm called me about this job, I never would have imagined leading a program like Oklahoma’s. That makes me deeply proud to have earned the trust of enough people to sit in this seat and lead a program that matters so much to individuals, to the university, and to the state.
Learning Leadership from the Brotherhood
Joe is one of many Phis whose example has shaped the way I think about leadership and brotherhood. Other Phis have had a meaningful impact on me, including older brothers I met when I first joined at SEMO. One was studying to go to medical school, and the others were football players. Watching them balance academics, athletics, and fraternity involvement showed me what commitment looked like in practice. I am also thankful for the brother who encouraged me to go to law school, because that advice helped set me on the path to where I am today. Younger brothers, including Ryan Frenz, ’06, continue to impress me by staying involved and honoring the commitment they made when they joined nearly a quarter century ago.
Those relationships have also changed the way I understand brotherhood after graduation. As an undergraduate, brotherhood is built through frequency; as an alumnus, it is sustained through depth. We see each other less as careers, families, and responsibilities grow, but the bond can become even more meaningful. I feel fortunate that the guys I came through Phi Delt with still represent that kind of relationship. Even if I have not spoken to some of them in years, I know that if I needed someone to lean on, they would answer the call. There is peace in knowing that.
Serving Others Will Provide the Success You Seek
That understanding of brotherhood is also the foundation of how I think about leadership. For anyone interested in leading large organizations, teams, or communities, my best advice is to build the habits of servant leadership. Surround yourself with good people, take care of them, and stay focused on the work in front of you. It is natural to feel impatient about climbing the ladder or uncertain about the next step, but if you do the work the right way, opportunities have a way of finding you.
I hope to be remembered for helping Oklahoma lead the sports industry through sustained competitive success. Winning matters, but it is only part of the work. To be truly successful, we must lead beyond the scoreboard. If we do that well, we will build a strong program that serves our five hundred student-athletes, strengthens the university, and benefits the state at large.
