University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins has named veteran SEC head coach Kristy Curry as the seventh head coach of the Bulls women’s basketball program.
Curry, who led Purdue to the 2001 NCAA championship game, takes over a South Florida program that has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won four conference titles since 2015. She comes 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.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Kristy Curry to our Bulls family as the leader of our outstanding women’s basketball program,” Higgins said. “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.
“I want to sincerely thank Michele Woods-Baxter for her nearly two decades of dedicated service to the University of South Florida. She has meant so much to this program and this community, and I know I speak for all of Bulls Nation in expressing our deep gratitude. Michele and her staff led with unwavering passion, integrity, and class, and their commitment through the 2025–26 season will have a lasting impact on everyone connected to South Florida women’s basketball.”
Curry, who has compiled 27 highly successful seasons as a collegiate head coach, will be 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.
“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.”
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.
https://gousfbulls.com/news/2026/3/24/kristy-curry-named-head-coach-of-usf-womens-basketball.aspx
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