Edniesha Curry, BS ’02 (sociology), made the news earlier this year when she was named a full-time assistant coach with the University of Maine basketball team.

Ordinarily, a coaching hire isn’t that newsworthy outside of a sport or a team’s fan base. But sometimes an announcement can make waves nationwide, as was the case when Curry was hired by the Bears’ men’s basketball team.

Curry is the only woman holding a full-time position as an assistant coach for a men’s NCAA Division I basketball team, and her hire was reported by ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, and CBS Sports, among others. The trailblazer took an unconventional route, and she hopes she will inspire future female coaches to be true to themselves while seeking equality in men’s sports.

Curry started her basketball career as a star point guard at Cal State Northridge, where she is still the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers. She finished her college career at the University of Oregon, helping the Ducks win the 2002 Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) championship while earning her degree in sociology.

A third-round draft pick by the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Sting, Curry spent four years in the WNBA before heading overseas and playing in Europe. She retired as a player in 2009 and went right into coaching—a career she never expected to have.

“I didn’t set out to be a basketball coach,” said Curry. “As an athlete, I didn’t see myself as a potential coach, but my coaches encouraged me to keep an open mind. Eventually, it came naturally to me. Other people saw potential and greatness in me even when I didn’t. For me, it’s always been more than basketball. I get to positively impact and change individual lives, and that’s what I love about coaching.”

While helping to develop youth basketball in Vietnam in 2015, Curry got what she described as a random call that started her coaching career in the United States. After a few Skype calls, she returned home and started coaching women’s basketball at the University of Maine.

She coached under Richard Barron, who led Maine’s women’s team to a pair of conference championships and WNIT appearances before being named the head coach of the university’s men’s program earlier this year. Calling Curry a “gifted skill instructor and motivator,” Barron made poaching Curry from the women’s team a priority when filling out his men’s staff.

“I hired Curry on her merits,” said Barron. “That’s all. I hired her based on her qualifications and fit for the program. Hopefully one day that’s the standard on which all coaching decisions are made, not gender.”

Curry’s position and trailblazing status isn’t lost on her. In order for change and equality to continue to come to women in the sports industry, Curry cites the need for other women to be willing to sacrifice to help make the change. And while that unfortunately comes with backlash, Curry refuses to devote energy to the naysayers.

“It’s hard to pay attention to any of the negative feedback,” she said. “I’m not denying that there are critics, but I’m not coaching those people. I wasn’t put in my position to impact those people. I was put in this position to impact those 15 men on my team and support my coaching staff. What you focus on has direct impact on the outcome of your life, and what matters to me is Maine basketball.”

While Curry clearly put in the time to get to where she is today, it wasn’t without a chorus of people telling her “No.” After she wrapped up her playing career, she was denied coaching opportunities in the US for more than 10 years, even from women’s coaching. Instead of being bitter, Curry looks back at those years as the motivation that led her to where she is now.

“You can’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough,” Curry said. “It took over 10 years to get a coaching job but I didn’t get discouraged. When I decided to be a coach, I was all in. I never let other people and their insecurities affect me. If I listened to everyone else, I wouldn’t be here.”

Curry’s dedication is not lost on her players or peers. She watches game footage for up to 12 hours at a time, and ESPN writer Cecelia Townes referred to her as a “savant.” Rushia Brown, manager of player programs and franchise development for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, told ESPN, “Edniesha is a true student of the game. . . . The amount of time she dedicates to the game of basketball is incredible, and it’s paying off.” Former teammate and six-time All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw said Curry “was like a player-coach. She could just see things that other people couldn’t. She was made to coach high-level basketball.”

What’s next for Curry? She doesn’t know, but she has a whole host of dreams. NBA assistant coach? Division I men’s head coach? Division I women’s head coach? They’re all possible. In fact, she’s already run camps for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and participated in the NBA’s assistant coaches program.

“I work every day to give myself the opportunity to open up new possibilities,” she said. “But when you start worrying about what’s next, you don’t focus on the now. I love my job and I love my guys.”

While she’s not focusing on what’s next for her, she is certainly forward-looking when it comes to young women going after their dreams.

“I want all the young girls and young women out there to not be afraid, and to turn the voice that’s in your head into a dream come true. It’s there for a reason. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Keep believing in yourself and you’ll make it happen.”

- by Meredith Ledbetter, writing and editing associate. Photos courtesy the University of Maine athletics department.