Kristy Curry’s time at Alabama is coming to an end, as she has just been hired to be the head coach of the South Florida Bulls. She spent more than a decade taking charge of the Crimson Tide’s women’s basketball program, having been at Tuscaloosa since 2013.
In that time, she led them to five NCAA Tournament appearances but never went beyond the second round. Her overall record was 245–173.
Top 5 Candidates for Alabama to Replace Kristy Curry
5. Roman Tubner (Assistant Coach, Tennessee)
A bit of a continuity move, Tubner was an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, and assistant head coach under Kristy Curry for three seasons before moving to Tennessee. He’s considered one of the best recruiters on the women’s side of the game, and his experience at Tennessee and Alabama makes him a bonafied SEC expert.
4. Megan Duffy (Head Coach, Virginia Tech)
Duffy is a more regular option, with plenty of experience as a coach at the collegiate level. She played college at Notre Dame before an undistinguished WNBA career in which she played for a couple of years with the Minnesota Lynx and then one season with the New York Liberty in the 2000s.
More recently, she coached Miami (OH), Marquette, and Virginia Tech. While she did win the Big East Coach of the Year with Marquette in 2020, and took them three times to the NCAA Tournament, and just recently took the Hokies to the Big Dance too, she has never advanced beyond the first round.
3. Dawn Thornton (Head Coach, Alabama A&M)
Thornton is the fifth head coach in Alabama A&M’s women’s basketball Division I history, and has made the time into a genuine contender in the SWAC. Before that, she coached at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and some Division II schools. Her record there is less stellar, with a 102-159 overall record in nine seasons at Prairie View A&M, Shorter, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. A move to Tuscaloosa would be an incredible upgrade for her.
2. Carly Thibault-DuDonis (Head Coach, Fairfield)
Fairfield is by no means a powerhouse in the sport, although Thibault-DuDonis has managed to turn them into a consistent performer across the board. In her first head-coaching gig, she has made the NCAA Tournament in three of four seasons.
She has also won three MAAC regular-season championships and MAC Tournaments (2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26). Yet the school has been unable to go beyond the first round of the Big Dance. Alabama could give her a chance to go beyond this glass ceiling.
1. Chanda Rigby (Head Coach, Troy)
Possibly the safest of the options available for Alabama, Rigby is highly experienced at the NJCAA and NCAA levels. She has spent more than a decade in charge of the Troy Trojans, leading them twice to Sun Belt regular season titles (2020, 2022) and thrice to win the Sun Belt Tournament (2016, 2017, 2021). While it’s been a while since they made the Big Dance, she also has experience there.
Read More News:
Who’s In The Women’s Sweet 16? Here’s The List of Teams Advancing to The Next Round
LOOK: South Carolina Star Raven Johnson Shows Off Stylish Hair Do Ahead of Sweet 16 Showdown
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
