A familiar face is set to return to her college alma mater and lead the softball program as Megan (Dowdy) Curry was announced on Friday as the 11th head coach in Samford history.

A standout during her time at both Fairhope High School and Samford University, Curry was inducted into each school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. That was just before she took the reigns as the head softball coach at Birmingham-Southern which later announced its impending closure due to lack of funds this spring.

Now, one of the Bulldogs’ most decorated student-athletes in program history will be the one filling out the lineup cards. Samford finished 24-32 overall last season with third-place finishes in the regular season and conference tournament.

"We are excited to welcome back a former student-athlete who loves Samford University," Director of Athletics Martin Newton said Friday. "I'm positive that Megan is the right person at the right time to lead this program as she possesses a full and unwavering understanding of the university's mission."

College career

In her final season playing for the Bulldogs, Curry was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year with a school-record 24 doubles that still stand today. Samford also collected its first-ever SoCon regular season championship and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth.

Curry still owns the single-season record with a .437 batting average from the prior season in 2015 as well as the career record for doubles with 48. While she closed her career with a .363 batting average that set a school record at the time, she was unseated by Shelby Maze in 2018 and sits second all-time.

"I want to thank Martin Newton and the rest of the Samford athletic department for giving me this wonderful opportunity to lead the softball program. I have personally felt the impact Samford can leave on one and believe in the mission wholeheartedly," Curry said. "I look forward to competing for championships within the SoCon and ultimately creating a culture of excellence. It will be one of the greatest joys of my life to come back home. Go Dogs!"

High school career

A three-time Class 6A first-team all-state honoree as a Fairhope Pirate, Curry is also still featured in the AHSAA record book with an impressive junior season when Fairhope took third from the state tournament. With 84 hits in 138 at-bats, Curry’s .586 batting average sits tied for 56th for highest in a season with a minimum of 100 at-bats. The 84 hits are 174th and she also stole 51 bases to rank 128th overall.

Her senior season, when she was named Fairhope’s Female Athlete of the Year, Curry struck out only 3 times in 124 at-bats and is currently ranked 71st overall. Also an impressive basketball player, she is a member of the Pirates’ 1,000-point club.

Professional career

Curry started her coaching career as an assistant on the Samford staff after she graduated from 2016-18. She then took another assistant role at SoCon foe Mercer before she earned her first head coaching role at Asbury University in Kentucky. After two seasons, Curry took the head coaching job at Birmingham-Southern where she went on to win Southern Athletic Association Coach of the Year honors. The Panthers went 24-17 overall and 13-5 against conference opponents for a runner-up finish in the final season in program history.

A 2016 graduate from Samford with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration, Curry added a master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in sports management from Asbury in 2024. Curry’s husband, Parker, was an all-conference pitcher for the Samford baseball team in 2016 before he pitched in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Parker now serves as the director of pitching development at UAB and they have one daughter together, Lauren.