At her introductory news conference Monday, new USF women's basketball coach Kristy Curry made a key point about her decision to leave Alabama and the SEC to lead the Bulls.
"From the moment I visited with Rob, it was evident that he is a champion for women's sports," she said.
That would be Rob Higgins, the CEO of Athletics for USF.
And Higgins, of course, is a champion for the 21 combined men's and women's teams at USF. But Curry is correct when she says Higgins aims just as high for women's teams as he does for the men. Pursuing and hiring Curry is proof of that. Former VP for Athletics Michael Kelly deserves a hat trip as well for the focus he put on the women's teams.
And that emphasis is paying off in the American Conference standings.
The women's lacrosse team leads the Conference and recently knocked off defending league champion James Madison. In its inaugural season in 2025, the team ranked third in the nation in total home attendance. Head coach Mindy McCord put this program together from scratch but the Bulls have suffered no growing pains.
They advanced to the conference finals last year and their sights set higher for this season. They are currently No. 24 nationally in the NCAA's RPI rankings.
Softball has had sustained excellence under Ken 'Eriksen for many years and this season is no exception. The Bulls are tied for the American Conference lead and are 27-11 overall
USF checks in at No. 36 nationally in the RPI rankings.
The Bulls started beach volleyball this spring. They compete in Conference USA and the first-year team is - you guessed it -- tied for first with a 3-0 league record and 15-5 overall.
Included in that record was an 11-match winning streak.
The women's golf team recently won the 14-team Bell Bank "Pay It Forward" Collegiate tournament in Arizona with a cumulative total of 26 under par. The Bulls had the lowest 54-hole score in program history.
Success like this doesn't happen by accident, It's the result of intentional planning and the expectation that will pay off with championships. It's a commitment by leadership to hold coaches accountable, who in turn hold leadership accountable to provide the needed resources to compete at the highest levels.
It didn't always used to be that way at USF, especially in the so-called "minor" sports.
The clear message now is that wearing the green and gold -- no matter the sport -- is a privilege that carries responsibility.
"USF is focused on becoming a special place with relentless championship success, where great coaches want to come and not leave. Let me say that again," Higgins said. "USF is focused on becoming a place with relentless championship success."