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Sept. 13, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia has named Curtis Loyd as assistant women’s basketball coach, head coach Debbie Ryan announced on Monday.
Loyd joins the Cavaliers after six seasons at the University of Arizona. He will assist in recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting, and individual workouts. He replaces Tom Garrick, who left UVa after three months to take the head coaching position at Rhode Island.
WWe are pleased and fortunate to have Curtis Loyd join our staff,” Ryan said. “He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge of the game, and Division I capabilities to our program. I know he was an asset to Arizona. We were just lucky to get him at this late date. Curtis will be responsible for the guards at Virginia.”
Under Loyd’s tutelage, Arizona has established an aggressive inside game and has positioned itself as a basketball powerhouse. His primary responsibility was the development of the Wildcat post players. During his tenure, Loyd coached five All-Pac-10 posts at UA, including two-time first team selection Elizabeth Pickney and the 2003 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a two-time selection Shawntinice Polk. Loyd also served as the program’s film exchange coordinator, academic liaison and director of the Joan Bonvicini Hoop Camp.
Loyd went to Arizona in 1999 after a two very successful years as an assistant coach at Colorado State. During his first season there in 1997-98, he helped the Rams to a second-round berth in the NCAA Tournament and a 24-6 final record. In 1998-99, his second season at CSU, the Rams jump-started the year with a Preseason WNIT championship and kept the ball rolling throughout the season, earning national rankings as high as No. 5. They ended the year ranked No. 7 after making an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and garnering school-record 33-3 mark. In Loyd’s two-year tenure at Colorado State, the Rams garnered a 57-9 overall mark and sent a player to the WNBA.
Prior to his arrival at Colorado State, Loyd was an assistant coach at Fort Collins (Colo.) High School, which won its conference title in 1997. That followed on the heels of a three-year stint as a professional basketball player in Switzerland, where he received numerous awards and team accolades.
Loyd played two years of basketball for Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., where he earned National Junior College Association of America (NJCAA) All-America and NJCAA All-Region Nine honors both seasons. Loyd was named the Region Nine MVP in 1991 after averaging 22 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a sophomore.
In 1991, Loyd transferred to Southern Utah and helped the Thunderbirds to a 34-21 record during his two years there. After missing most of the 1992 season with a broken foot, he emerged as a starter in 1993, averaging 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Loyd was also a member of the Southern Utah track team for one season.
Loyd earned degrees in physical education and sociology at Southern Utah in 1994. He received an associate’s degree in physical education from Northeastern Junior College in 1991.
Virginia women’s basketball opens the 2004-05 campaign against Arizona State at Louisiana State?s Tournament on Nov. 11.