That stint started a career that has led her to Wright State, where she became head softball coach in October.
Curylo discussed her time in California as a defining period for her as a coach.
“I was just teaching high school science and coaching for six years,” she said. “I really was able to find out what my philosophies were.”
She started that growth as a standout center fielder with UIC, which advanced to the College World Series during her freshman season. After her first season with the high school team, she was offered an assistant coaching job at Illinois, which she turned down.
After six years in Long Beach, Curylo continued her dream of becoming a college coach, first as an assistant at Tennessee State and then at Illinois. The WSU job opened when Linda Garza left after one season (and an NCAA tournament appearance) to become an assistant at Cal Poly. Curylo saw a Midwestern opportunity in a league with which she’s very familiar.
Although her playing days against Wright State don’t necessarily stand out in her memory, they held their own significance.
“I was home for the holiday and my dad pulled out a media guide from my senior year (at UIC),” Curylo said. “Under my profile it said I had an 11-game hitting streak end against Wright State, and the next time we played them I went 4-for-4. So, I guess I’ve had a taste of each here already.”
Coming up
• The men’s basketball team (3-4) will play the last of four straight games away from the Nutter Center at noon Saturday at Detroit, its Horizon League opener. The Raiders return home for games against Air Force on Wednesday and Tusculum on Dec. 11.
• The women’s basketball team (2-3), after a two-game home stretch, will play five straight on the road before returning to the Nutter Center against Central Florida on Dec. 22.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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