A Hometown Legacy
When the University of South Florida announced Kristy Curry as its new women’s basketball head coach, the move was more than a personnel change; it was a homecoming of sorts for a coach whose roots stretch deep into the heart of Louisiana.
Curry grew up in Olla, a town of roughly 1,300 residents where the rhythm of life is set by close‑knit community ties, rural comfort and a steadfast loyalty to the LaSalle High School Tigers. The environment of Olla, with its emphasis on family and hard work, became the crucible that forged her coaching ethos.
Family Roots
Her family reads like a who’s who of Louisiana sports. Grandfather Major Sims spent 41 years as a principal and coach at LaSalle High, while her father Blake Sims coached junior‑high football. Ann Sims, her mother, steered the school’s girls basketball and softball teams, and brother Joel Sims now teaches high school while guiding baseball squads to state championships. Husband Kelly Curry serves as her top assistant, and together they raise two grown daughters, Kelsey and Kendall, alongside an 11‑year‑old Jack Russell Terrier named Oliver.
Before arriving in Tampa, Curry amassed 27 seasons of head‑coaching experience across the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, compiling a 554‑322 record, earning 14 NCAA Tournament berths and capturing five conference titles. Her journey has taken her through Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State, Tulane, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M and Purdue, each stop adding a layer of strategic depth to her repertoire.
Central to her philosophy is a simple biblical injunction — Corinthians 10:31 — that she often cites when talking about playing for something larger than the scoreboard. Faith, family and hard work are not just slogans; they are the daily directives that shape practice sessions, recruiting pitches and game‑day preparations.
Curry acknowledges that a slice of Olla will always linger in the way she runs the USF program. Whether it’s the humility of a small‑town crowd or the unyielding loyalty to a hometown team, those values are now part of the Bulls’ identity, promising a blend of grit and grace that resonates both on and off the court.