The OU Board of Regents will consider design plans for the proposed Engineering Research Building project and athletics personnel appointments and contract changes at its Tuesday meeting.
The meeting will be held at 8 a.m. at OU Health Campus in Oklahoma City.
Engineering Research Building project
The board will consider design development phase plans for the Engineering Research Building project. According to the agenda, the Engineering Research Building project is part of the Gallogly College of Engineering Master Plan, which was approved by the board in 2024.
The anticipated total cost of the project is $80 million with state appropriations. The proposed 77,000-square-foot facility would sit at the southeast corner of Jenkins Avenue and Felgar Street, south of Sarkey’s Energy Center.
Site plan for the proposed Engineering Research Building project.
Site plan for the proposed Engineering Research Building project by floor.
Athletics personnel appointments, contracts
The board will consider the following appointments for OU athletics personnel:
• Ken Guthrie, baseball assistant coach/assistant director of scouting and player development
• Tyler Johnson, baseball assistant coach
• Abigail O’Connor, associate athletics director, performance nutrition
• Justin Smith, head football athletic trainer
The board will consider contract changes for the following personnel:
• Ryan Gaines, chief of baseball staff
• Russell Raley, assistant coach
• Brent Venables, head football coach
• Reggie Willits, assistant coach
The board will also consider changing Raley’s title from assistant coach to assistant coach and director of scouting, and Willits’ title from assistant baseball coach to associate head coach.
Elm property acquisition
The board will consider allowing university administration to negotiate the acquisition of a property at 1017 Elm Avenue, just west of McCasland Hall and Cate Center.
1017 Elm Avenue property on Google Maps.
The agenda states it is in the best interest of the university to purchase the property for ”strategic purposes.”
According to its website, phase two of the Freshman Housing Master Plan is scheduled to begin this fall and finish in 2030. At its March meeting, the board approved a $23 million total budget for phase two.
In a Thursday interview with OU Daily editors, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said the university will not open a residence hall in 2027, but will open three new halls in the three following years.
‘Toby Keith and Family Performance Center’
The board will consider naming the new indoor performance center at OU baseball’s Kimrey Family Stadium the “Toby Keith and Family Performance Center” in honor of the late country music star, a longtime fan of OU athletics.
Country singer Toby Keith walks on the field before the game against Army Sept. 22.
Kimrey Family Stadium is currently undergoing expansion and renovation efforts designed to position OU baseball for success in the Southeastern Conference and nationally, according to the agenda.
The board approved stadium renovation funding at its June meeting, less than a week before OU baseball won the College World Series.
The agenda states the proposed naming is contingent upon a pledge agreement between the university and Keith’s family, and recognizes anticipated philanthropic support associated with the facility.
Max Westheimer development project budget
The board will consider an estimated total project budget of $4.25 million for the Max Westheimer Airport Hangar and Infrastructure Development project. It will also consider awarding a contract of about $3.2 million to Stronghold Construction LLC for construction of the project.
The project includes a single 15,600-square-foot general aviation hangar as part of the south development.
According to the agenda, funding for the development project is available and budgeted from a combination of Federal Aviation Administration and Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics grants, airport auxiliary funds and university funds.
