Years in Coaching: 28th season
Years at USF: 1st season
Alma Mater: Northeast Louisiana, 1988
Hometown: Olla, Louisiana
Family: Husband: Kelly; Children: Kelsey & Kendall
NOTABLES
- Took Purdue to the 2001 National Championship game.
- Has 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, two NCAA Elite Eights, and four NCAA Sweet 16's.
- Owns a 554-322 (.632) career record as a head coach while logging 16 20-win seasons at Alabama, Texas Tech, and Purdue.
- Only coach in women’s basketball history to record 100 or more wins at three different Power 4 schools (Alabama, Texas Tech, and Purdue).
- Five of her Alabama players were selected in the WNBA Draft, including Sarah Ashlee Barker (9th) and Aaliyah Nye (13th), who were both selected in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
- Her 2024-25 Alabama squad earned the program’s first preseason ranking (No. 24 in 2024) since 1999 and went on to post a 24-9 record, becoming the fastest in program history to reach 20 wins.
- Posted her 100th career win in just her 126th game as a head coach, reaching the mark faster than such notables as Pat Summit (Tennessee), Geno Auriemma (UConn), Tara VanDerveer (Stanford), and Jody Conradt (Texas).
- Her Texas Tech team upset No. 1 Baylor in 2011.
- Part of 21 postseason appearances (14 NCAA, 7 WNIT), including in each of her last six seasons with Alabama.
COACHING HONORS
2014 Kay Yow Heart of a Coach Award
NCAA Tournament Experience as a Coach (14)
2026 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Alabama)
2025 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Alabama)
2024 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Alabama)
2023 NCAA Tournament – Round of 64 (Alabama)
2021 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Alabama)
2013 NCAA Tournament – Round of 64 (Texas Tech)
2011 NCAA Tournament – Round of 64 (Texas Tech)
2006 NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 (Purdue)
2005 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Purdue)
2004 NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 (Purdue)
2003 NCAA Tournament – Elite 8 (Purdue)
2002 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Purdue)
2001 NCAA Tournament – NCAA Runner-Up (Purdue)
2000 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Purdue)
Conference Championships as a Coach (5)
2004 Big Ten Tournament Champions (Purdue)
2003 Big Ten Tournament Champions (Purdue)
2002 Big Ten Regular Season Champions (Purdue)
2001 Big Ten Regular Season Champions (Purdue)
2000 Big Ten Tournament Champions (Purdue)
University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins named veteran head coach Kristy Curry as the seventh head coach of the Bulls women’s basketball program on March 24, 2026.
BEFORE SOUTH FLORIDA
Curry, who led Purdue to the 2001 NCAA championship game, came to Tampa after leading the women’s basketball program at Alabama for the last 13 seasons, guiding the Crimson Tide to the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons and posting 20-win seasons in each of the last five years. Her 2025-26 team went 24-11 and, as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, fell by a point (69-68) to No. 3 seed Louisville in the second round
Curry, who compiled 27 highly successful seasons as a collegiate head coach before arriving in Tampa, is guiding her fourth program after previous head coaching stops at Purdue (1999-2006), Texas Tech (2006-13) and Alabama (2013-26). She has led three different teams to the NCAA Tournament, compiling 21 postseason appearances – 14 NCAA, 7 WNIT – and a 554-322 (.632) record as a head coach while logging 16 20-win seasons. Curry led Purdue to the 2001 NCAA Final Four and has two NCAA Elite Eight and four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances to her credit, while her teams captured three Big Ten Tournament titles and two Big Ten regular season championships.
A native of Louisiana, Curry is one of 10 coaches in women’s basketball history to record 100 wins or more at three different programs. She went 245-173 at Alabama, leading the Tide to nine postseason appearances, including in each of her final six seasons and in 2021, gaining the program’s first NCAA appearance in more than two decades. Her 2024-25 squad earned the program’s first preseason ranking (No. 24 in 2024) since 1999 and went on to post 24-9 record, becoming the fastest in program history to reach 20 wins. The Tide reached the No. 18 ranking in the Associated Press poll twice.
Five of her Alabama players were selected in the WNBA Draft. Sarah Ashlee Barker (9th) and Aaliyah Nye (13th) were both selected in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft and Zaay Green was a third-round selection. Brittany Davis (2023) and Jasmine Walker (2021) were also selected in the WNBA Draft, Walker becoming the second first-round pick in program history and the first Alabama player to be drafted since 1999.
Curry’s players earned eight All-SEC postseason honors, including four first-team selections. Barker, who earned SEC first-team honors in consecutive years, became the fifth player in UA history to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists.
Curry posted a 130-98 record in seven seasons leading Texas Tech women’s basketball. She guided the Red Raiders to five postseason appearances, including two NCAA Tournament bids, and three consecutive 20-win seasons. Her Tech team upset No. 1-ranked Baylor in 2011.
She took over the Purdue program in 1999 and went 179-51 (.778) over seven seasons leading the Boilermakers. Purdue earned an NCAA tournament bid every season and reached the NCAA championship game in 2001, making Curry just the second women’s coach to reach the championship game in their second season as a head coach. Curry also took Purdue to the Elite Eight in 2001 and 2003 and the Sweet 16 in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Her Purdue teams won Big Ten regular season championships in 2001 and 2002 and Big Ten Tournament titles in 2000, 2003 and 2004. She posted her 100th career win in just her 126th game as a head coach, reaching the mark faster than such notables as Pat Summit (Tennessee), Geno Auriemma (UConn), Tara VanDerveer (Stanford) and Jody Conradt (Texas).
A graduate of Northeast Louisiana University (1988), Curry started her coaching career as a high school coach in Louisiana, first at Weston High School (1988-90) and then Mansfield High School (1990-91). After stops as an assistant in the collegiate ranks at Tulane (1991-93), Stephen F. Austin (1993-94) and Texas A&M (1994-96), she landed at Louisiana Tech (1996-99) where she worked on the staff of Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore and helped lead the Lady Techers to a 92-11 record and two NCAA Final Four appearances.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
“I’m thrilled to welcome Kristy Curry to our Bulls family as the leader of our outstanding women’s basketball program. Kristy is a proven winner at the highest levels, with head coaching success across the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. She has guided her teams to the NCAA championship game and built an exceptional resume that includes 16 20-win seasons and 21 postseason appearances over 27 years as a head coach. I’m incredibly excited about the future of South Florida women’s basketball under her leadership."
– South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins
“I would like to thank Rob Higgins for the tremendous opportunity to lead a proud South Florida women’s basketball program,” Curry said. “A strong foundation is in place, and I look forward to building on it as we pursue conference championships and NCAA Tournament success. Rob and the University’s commitment to competing at the highest level—along with the clear vision and alignment at USF—are truly exceptional. I can’t wait to meet Bulls Nation and experience a rocking Yuengling Center.”
– South Florida Head Coach Kristy Curry
“South Florida has a keeper in Kristy Curry. I have had a lot of great assistant coaches, Gary Blair, Kim Mulkey, and Nell Fortner. Kristy Curry was an assistant with me and was one of the hardest-working assistants I’ve ever had. She has a passion for the game and a love for her players. She will be a great addition to the family at South Florida.”
– Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore
“Congratulations to the University of South Florida on hiring Kristy Curry. What a home run! A proven winner, no doubt. One of the top coaches in our industry without question. Has consistently competed in the Southeastern Conference every year. Her teams are always in the top 25; they compete at a high level and are always prepared. Coach Curry and her teams win.”
– Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer
“Kristi represents the best of the best in the coaching ranks. I have no doubt that with the resources provided, she will have USF competing on the national stage. Proven winner, proven coach - we will miss her dearly in the SEC. USF got a great one in Kristi Curry.”
— South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley
“I’m so grateful for the impact Coach Kristy had on me, both on and off the court. She pushed me to be the best version of myself, always believing in me and wanting the very best for me. That kind of support and dedication truly made a difference in my life. I’m so happy for Coach and everything that’s ahead. She deserves all the support, recognition, and great things coming her way. USF is getting a great one!”
– Los Angeles Sparks guard and Alabama graduate Sarah Ashlee Barker
"Kristy Curry is a winner. All she does is win, and you see that if you look at every school she has been a part of. When you look at her coaching career, you see a future Hall of Famer who is a legend in our game. I'm excited to see the impact she is going to have at South Florida, but most importantly, within the community. I think it's a home run hire. Outside of who she is as a basketball coach, she's just an overall great person. I couldn't be happier for her and her family."
– Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sam Purcell
“Kristy Curry is a proven winner who has coached at two programs that had won national championships at Purdue and Texas Tech before she got there and turned those programs into NCAA participants every year. She has taken Alabama to five out of the last six NCAA Tournaments. To compete in the SEC, you must have players and be able to develop them. Since she arrived at Alabama, they have done more with their team with less resources, less budget, and less talent than others. Kelly, her husband, is the rock of the coaching staff and a great game manager. South Florida is not just getting a coaching staff; they are getting a family of winners that will keep the Bulls competing for championships every year.”
– Hall of Fame coach Gary Blair
“Kristy Curry is a tremendous addition to the American Conference. She has proven throughout her career that she knows how to build a program, sustain success, and lead at a high level. Taking Purdue to a Final Four is just one example of the impact she has made in this profession. What has always stood out to me even more is the way she leads with strong family values, and that always shows up in the culture of her program. I had the opportunity to work with her at Alabama, so I know the Curry family will do great things at USF. I’m excited to see what’s ahead for Kristy, Kelly, Kendall, and Kelsey, and I wish them all the best.”
– Wichita State women’s basketball head coach Terry Nooner
"Congrats to South Florida on the hiring of Kristy Curry to lead their women’s basketball program. You will not find a more genuine leader of young people than Kristy. She will embrace the tradition and past success of the program and work tirelessly to bring a championship mindset on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. Kristy’s ability to recruit and develop players at a very high level, combined with her ability to get the most out of her student-athletes each day, will allow her to compete for championships in the American Conference immediately. She will bring a palpable energy to everything she does and will not be outworked by anyone. Kristy is a proven winner at the highest levels and will have USF competing for championships and playing meaningful basketball in March very soon! I am thrilled for Kristy, Kelly, Kelsey, and Kendall, and this great opportunity at South Florida!"
– Louisiana Tech women’s basketball head coach Brooke Stoehr
“I am so thankful for the impact Coach Kristy has had on my life. She not only tries to make you a better player, but she cares deeply about making you a better person. She has won at every school in the basketball sense, but she also helps girls try to win at life. She impacts the present and 50 years from now. I am better because of Coach Kristy! USF is getting someone very special.”
– Alabama graduate Karly Weathers
“To my coach, my mentor, and my friend, I am so excited for this new chapter in Coach Curry’s career. I will never be able to say thank you enough for the impact she has had on my life. As a player, she was the perfect coach for me. While she was hard, she gave us the freedom to be ourselves, and that helped me reach new heights in my game. After I moved into coaching, she has always been there for me as a sounding board and given me advice countless times. She has done so much for me in my life, and her impact on the game truly makes her one of the best coaches over the last 25 years. USF is getting one heck of a ball coach.”
– Purdue women’s basketball head coach Katie Gearlds
“Home run hire USF! Coach Curry quickly guided our Purdue squad back to the National Championship game just two years after coming to West Lafayette. Her unique way of coaching you hard but allowing you space to be yourself makes her one of the all-time greats. Coach Curry’s competitiveness and fire will make any player want to run through a wall for her. Congratulations, Coach, you continue to influence so many, and they are lucky to have you.”
– Purdue women’s basketball Associate Head Coach Kelly Komara
