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Entering his 10th season at the helm of the University of Houston program is Joe Curl, the fifth head coach in program history. Curl starts the season with a career mark of 142-126. He has coached in 268 games at Houston, ranking second all-time to Dot Woodfin (279). In 17 years, he has 280 career wins, ranking him fourth among active coaches in Conference USA. He has led the Cougars to a combined 129-82 (.611) record over the past six seasons. During that span, UH has made back-to-back WNIT appearances (2001, 2002), including a battle against Oregon for the 2002 Championship, and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2004, 2005). He was named National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, Basketball Times, USBWA, ESPN.com and C-USA following UH's record-setting 28-4 campaign in 2003-04. That year, UH won the C-USA regular season and tournament crowns, earning the Cougars a No. 3 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Former standout Chandi Jones (2000-04) was named the C-USA Female Athlete of the Decade. Jones is one of only five UH basketball players, male or female (Otis Birdsong, Clyde Drexler, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon) to have their jersey retired. Curl came on board following the 1997-98 season, which marked UH's sixth-straight season finishing with a .500 record or below. Although the program struggled in his first two seasons, earning a 5-22 (1-15 C-USA) mark in 1998-99 and a 7-21 (3-13 C-USA) finish during 1999-2000, Curl turned that into a 19-12 (10-6 C-USA) record during 2000-01. That turnaround was cited as one of the biggest surprises in all of Division I women's basketball that season. In addition to earning a trip to the postseason for the first time in nearly 10 years, the Cougars boasted a starting lineup which included four starters who averaged over 10 points per game, two All-C-USA selections (Chandi Jones, Monet Sykes) and the C-USA Freshman of the Year (Jones). The Cougars have continued to increase their level of play since Curl's arrival, adding such national powerhouses as Alabama, Colorado, Duke, Georgia, Iowa, LSU, Louisiana Tech, Michigan State, Purdue, Texas, Texas Tech and Wisconsin. Curl is quick to credit his coaching staff and the support group around him for the vast improvements in the program's rise to the success. "I'm not sure that I've accomplished anything," Curl said. "As a staff, team and program, we have really made tremendous progress on all fronts. From an academic standpoint, which is a top priority of this team, the overall direction of the program is up and in a very steady climb." In addition to the improved level of academic responsibility by his athletes over the past few years at Houston, community service by his players has also become a major priority. Before becoming a member of his team, each potential student-athlete and staff member knows that Curl expects excellence both on and off the court. Each player is expected to give a minimum of 50 hours of community service per academic year. In most cases, the players far surpass that minimum. "It's funny," Curl said. "The years we have higher hours of community service are the years where we have a better record. I believe that when you give, you get back." The Cougars participate in various functions on and around campus throughout the year, from hosting barbeques for alumni and fellow student-athletes prior to Cougars home football games to visiting area schools and talking to kids about the pressures of growing up. Following every home game at Hofheinz Pavilion--whether they win or lose--the Cougars remain on the court for over an hour signing autographs and meeting with their fans. "There's a great saying from an old coach that I truly believe in," Curl said. "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Until they know you care, it doesn't make any difference how smart you are or who you are. It's all about caring. In 18 seasons as head coach at the collegiate level, Curl has compiled a record of 280-226 (.553). He joined UH after two years as the men's coach at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. After a slow first year, Curl led the Blinn men to the playoffs in 1998. As the women's head coach at Blinn from 1994-1996, Curl led four players to All-Conference honors and three earned All-Region selections while turning a .500 program into a 20-game winner. Prior to that, in 1993-94, he led the Stephen F. Austin women's team to the Southland Conference title and a bid in the NCAA tournament while picking up Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors along the way. Before joining the staff at SFA, he coached the women's basketball team at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, for three seasons and led the team to the Texas Eastern Conference Championship. At Trinity Valley CC, he coached five junior college All-Americans, 10 All-Region XIV players and 14 All-Conference selections. The Lady Cardinals were ranked No. 1 in the nation during the 1992-93 season, and Curl was twice named Conference Coach of the Year. Curl earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State in 1978 and a master's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. An accomplished athlete in his own right, Curl lettered nine times in varsity high school sports, holds three records in track and was second in scoring and rebounding in the history of South Sioux City High School in his hometown of South Sioux City, Nebraska. He and his wife, Lesa, have two daughters, Angela and Jennifer. Angela was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougars from 1998-2003, while Jennifer also is a UH graduate. |
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