Megan Curry, one of the most decorated players in Samford softball history, is heading across town. She was officially named the next head coach at UAB on Monday afternoon.
Curry takes over for Taylor Smartt, who was reportedly dismissed following a university investigation into conduct complaints. Anna Shelnutt had been serving as the program’s interim head coach.
“We are thrilled to welcome Megan Curry to the UAB family,” UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram said in a statement. “Megan has quickly established herself as one of the brightest young coaches in collegiate softball. She has a proven track record of developing student-athletes, building championship-caliber cultures and elevating programs, and we’re excited for her to bring that leadership to UAB. Her ties to Birmingham and our university make this a tremendous fit for our softball program, and we look forward to what the future holds under her leadership.”
Curry spent the last two seasons as head coach at Samford, going 61-54 overall. She led the Bulldogs to a 28-31 record in 2026, a season in which Samford faced nine ranked opponents, including a 3-2 home upset of No. 2 Alabama. Samford advanced to the SoCon Championship game, falling one game short of an NCAA Tournament bid. Curry coached SoCon preseason and regular season Player of the Year Olivia Shaw during that campaign.
In her first season at Samford in 2025, Curry guided the Bulldogs to a 33-23 record, winning five of seven conference series and finishing third in the Southern Conference Tournament.
Curry, a Samford Athletics Hall of Famer, served as the Samford head coach the last two years. She returned to Samford, where she played from 2013-16, after one season as head coach at Birmingham-Southern College. In her lone year leading the Panthers, BSC finished 24-17 overall and 13-5 in Southern Athletic Association play, a runner-up finish in the conference that earned Curry SAA Coach of the Year honors.
Curry’s coaching career began as a Samford assistant from 2016-18, followed by a season as an assistant at Mercer in 2019-20. She got her first head coaching job at Division III Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, where she spent three seasons.
As a player at Samford, she was a standout center fielder from 2013-16. She led the team in hitting in three of her four seasons and was named SoCon Player of the Year in 2016 after leading Samford to its first SoCon regular season title. That team also won the SoCon Tournament and reached the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Curry’s .437 batting average in 2015 and her 24 doubles in 2016 remain single-season school records. She still holds Samford’s career record for doubles with 48, and her .363 career average, a school record at the end of her playing days, currently ranks second in program history.
Curry’s husband, Parker Curry, is the Director of Pitching Development for UAB baseball. UAB also hired current baseball coach Casey Dunn from Samford in 2021.
“I am incredibly grateful to Mark Ingram and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead UAB Softball,” said Curry. “This is a special opportunity for my family and me. Through Parker’s time at UAB, I’ve had the chance to experience firsthand the people, culture and passion that make Blazer Athletics so special, and it’s an honor to now lead this program. I can’t wait to build relationships with our student-athletes, alumni and fans as we work together to compete for championships and represent UAB with pride.”