NORMAN — Oklahoma women's basketball is adding a new layer to its infrastructure, hiring Jared Boyd as the program's first general manager, the school announced Thursday.
Boyd arrives in Norman after spending the 2025-26 season as general manager at Texas Tech and five previous years as the program's chief of staff, bringing more than a decade of experience in roster construction, basketball operations and personnel strategy.
At OU, Boyd will oversee roster management and player acquisition, NIL and revenue-sharing strategy, recruiting operations, analytics and player valuation, and retention efforts — a role designed to centralize the modern roster-building demands of high-major women's basketball.
The hire is part of a broader structural investment by the university as it continues to adapt to an evolving college athletics landscape.
“As we continue to invest in our women’s basketball program, it’s essential we evolve the way we operate to position our team for championship-level competition," OU athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement. "Adding a general manager is a key part of that vision.
"Jared has been an integral part of a successful program. His understanding of roster management, organizational strategy and player support will be instrumental as we move forward."
More: OU women's basketball lands Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu in transfer portal from Maryland
Boyd played a central role in roster construction at Texas Tech, helping to build a 2025-26 team that finished 25-7, opened the season 19-0 and reached the NCAA Tournament second round. He also directed NIL allocation strategy and developed a centralizes personnel system known as "Command Center" to streamline recruiting and evaluation.
Before becoming general manager, Boyd serves as Texas Tech's chief of staff, overseeing basketball operations including travel, fundraising, recruiting operations and NIL planning. Over six seasons in Lubbock, the Lady Raiders won 109 games with three postseason appearances, including their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005 and a tie for fourth in the Big 12 in 2025-26.
Earlier in his career, Boyd spent three seasons at UT Arlington as director of basketball operations, where the program won a conference championship and totaled 63 wins. He began his career as a student manager at West Texas A&M and later earned a master's degree in sport management from Texas Tech.
For OU coach Jennie Baranczyk, the move is as much about structure as it is personnel.
“Sustained success in today’s game requires you to be innovative and intentional," Baranczyk said. "He brings structure, clarity and consistency to an area that is more important than ever in college athletics. Roster building takes vision, organization and trust, and he has shown the ability to do that at a high level."
Baranczyk also emphasized Boyd's experience in retention and relationships as a key factor in the hire.
“We’re so excited to welcome Jared to our Oklahoma women’s basketball family," Baranczyk said. "He is incredibly respected in the industry, connected and aligned with who we are and what we want Oklahoma women’s basketball to be."
Boyd said the opportunity to join the program was an easy decision.
"Oklahoma is one of the premier brands in college athletics, and what’s been built here is special," Boyd said. "We want to keep building on that foundation and continue pushing this program to the highest level."
The addition signals a continued shift across major programs toward front-office style structures in college basketball, with dedicated general manager roles increasingly responsible for roster construction, NIL strategy and long-term personnel planning.
OU hired Lucas McKay as its men's basketball general manager on April 6.
Boyd is expected to begin work immediately with the program as it continues offseason roster and recruiting preparations. The Sooners landed Maryland transfer forward Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu an hour and a half before the announcement of Boyd's hiring.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.