Alabama Welcomes Pauline Love as New Women's Basketball Coach

The University of Alabama hires Pauline Love as its 10th women's basketball head coach, replacing Kristy Curry after her 13-year tenure.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:26pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a women's basketball game, with the court and players broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in a bold color scheme, conveying the energy and movement of the sport.The new era of Alabama women's basketball under coach Pauline Love will be defined by a dynamic, geometric style of play.Tuscaloosa Today

The University of Alabama has named Pauline Love as its new women's basketball head coach, replacing Kristy Curry who departed after 13 years leading the program. Love brings extensive experience as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, most recently at the University of Oklahoma where she helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Sweet 16 and average a program-best 85.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season. As a player, Love was a standout at Southern Miss, earning three first-team All-Conference USA honors, and she also has professional and international playing experience.

Why it matters

The hiring of Pauline Love marks a new era for Alabama women's basketball, as she takes over a program that has seen consistent success under Kristy Curry's 13-year tenure. Love's extensive coaching background and reputation as a strong recruiter provide optimism that she can build upon the foundation Curry established and potentially take the Crimson Tide to new heights.

The details

Pauline Love was officially named the 10th head coach in Alabama women's basketball history on Thursday. She replaces Kristy Curry, who departed the program after 13 seasons to take the head coaching job at the University of South Florida. Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne expressed confidence in Love, stating that she was the top choice among a strong pool of candidates. Love brings 13 years of assistant coaching experience, including the last several seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma, where she helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Sweet 16 and average a program-best 85.9 points per game in 2025-26.

  • Pauline Love was named Alabama's new women's basketball coach on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
  • Kristy Curry spent 13 seasons as Alabama's head coach before departing for the University of South Florida.

The players

Pauline Love

The new head coach of the Alabama women's basketball team, bringing 13 years of assistant coaching experience, including a successful stint at Oklahoma where she helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Sweet 16.

Kristy Curry

The former 13-year head coach of the Alabama women's basketball team, who departed the program to take the head coaching job at the University of South Florida.

Greg Byrne

The Athletic Director at the University of Alabama, who expressed confidence in Pauline Love as the best choice to lead the women's basketball program moving forward.

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What they’re saying

“Very confident! I was very pleased with the level of interest in the job, and we had a lot of good options. Knowing Pauline already certainly helped. I've hired many coaches in my career. While I've had friendships with some, I didn't hire them because they weren't the right fit. You have to hire the person you believe is best for the long-term health of the program, and as we talked with Pauline, we became confident that she was that person.”

— Greg Byrne, Athletic Director, University of Alabama

“I give all the credit to the people I've worked for, especially Kristy Curry. She challenged me and laid the foundation for me, asking, 'Is this what you want to do?' and putting me in very difficult situations. Mike and Jenny did the same by presenting tough situations and asking, 'Do you want to be a head coach? Are you sure? Is this what you want to do?' They all prepared me for this role.”

— Pauline Love, New Head Coach, Alabama Women's Basketball

What’s next

Love's immediate priorities are to retain the current roster, recruit new talent, and build upon the foundation established during Kristy Curry's tenure as head coach.

The takeaway

Pauline Love's hiring as the new Alabama women's basketball head coach represents a fresh start for the program, as she brings a wealth of assistant coaching experience and a reputation as a strong recruiter to Tuscaloosa. Her goal is to build upon the success the Crimson Tide have enjoyed in recent years under Kristy Curry's leadership.