New head coach Kristy Curry knows what she wants Tampa Bay fans to see when they watch USF women’s basketball this season.
“A gritty, hard-nosed, get-after-it mentality,” Curry said.
That is the starting point for her first season leading the Bulls. The challenge now is turning that attitude into a team that can compete for an American Conference championship.
In a preseason interview with FL Teams, Curry sounded excited about the players she is coaching.
She also made it clear that USF remains a work in progress. The Bulls have a new system to learn, leadership to build, and health to improve before they can show what they can become.
Bulls fans have reason to be excited. There is also work ahead.
Why Curry chose South Florida
Curry came to USF after 13 seasons at Alabama. USF announced her hiring in March, bringing in a coach who has taken Purdue, Texas Tech and Alabama to the NCAA Tournament.
But when asked what drew her to South Florida, Curry started with support. She pointed to USF CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins and the belief that the school would give her program a chance to compete.
“Rob Higgins is one of the most dynamic and innovative leaders I’ve ever had a chance to spend time with,” Curry said.
In her view, top-level support matters. A coach needs people behind the program who share its goals and help provide the resources to reach them.
Curry spoke warmly about her years at Alabama. Still, she felt ready for a change.
“It was just time,” she said.
Now, the task is making that next chapter count in Tampa.
A group willing to learn
A new coach and a reshaped roster can make preseason difficult. Curry’s early experience with this group has been encouraging.
“They’re so excited, they’re coachable. They work hard, there’s no drama,” she said.
Those words will not win a game on their own. But they describe a useful foundation for a team trying to learn together.
Curry said the Bulls have four returning players and a 13-player roster. Much of her early work has involved getting to know the players, building relationships, and helping them understand what she expects.
At the time of the interview, USF had completed one scrimmage, with more ahead. Curry was still evaluating the team overall.
Her approach has been to challenge the Bulls each day, using practice players to put them in competitive situations. The goal is to make the new system feel familiar when games begin.
Stefanie Ingram helps set the tone
Curry does not see leadership resting on one player.
“I think it’ll be leadership by a committee,” she said.
Still, she singled out point guard Stefanie Ingram as someone doing a strong job. That matters as the team adjusts to a new coach.
The point guard has to help keep teammates organized while learning how the coach wants the offense to run. Curry also mentioned Hannah Kohn, Fatou Diakite, and Kendall Puryear as experienced voices in the group. Puryear joins the Bulls from Purdue.
For USF, shared leadership could become a strength. Different players can help steady the team when shots stop falling, mistakes pile up, or a game gets tight. But that leadership is still taking shape. Curry is giving it time to grow.
Trust comes before everything else
For Curry, building a team starts with knowing the people in it. She described spending time with players both on and off the court. Understanding them as people helps them succeed on the court.
“I think that’s the joy of coaching,” she said.
That approach could be especially valuable in a season full of change.
Players are learning a new system. Curry is learning how to get the best from them. Trust gives both sides a foundation when the season becomes demanding.
The Bulls will need that connection when practice lessons meet game pressure.
Health will shape the Bulls’ ceiling
When asked what would determine whether USF could compete for a conference championship, Curry gave a direct answer: “Stay healthy.”
She said a couple of players still needed to get healthy. She also noted that a freshman injured in February would not play this season.
Beyond health, Curry wants the Bulls to adjust to her system and style as quickly as possible. That makes the early part of the season important.
USF needs to build chemistry, learn its roles, and turn daily effort into consistent play.
There is no reason to hand the Bulls a championship before they have played a game. There is reason to watch this team closely.
Curry likes its willingness to work. She sees experience in several voices. And she has a clear idea of the effort fans should expect at the Yuengling Center.
Tampa Bay can get behind a team that plays hard and keeps fighting. Now, Curry and the Bulls have to bring that promise to the floor.