Tom McCurdy recently completed his 18th season in 2024-25 as the head women’s golf coach at Wichita State University, where he has completely changed the outlook of the program and brought it to new heights. Through the quality of McCurdy’s recruiting classes, the Shockers are building a program that will continue to compete on a national level.
The 2024-25 season ended on a high note for the Shockers as the team recorded their second-highest finish at the AAC Championship in team history, again finishing higher than projected. The Shockers were led by Kate Tilma, who finished tied for seventh on the individual leaderboard and was named AAC All-Conference as a result. McCurdy's squad averaged 303.82 strokes per tournament, the fifth-best mark in team history for a season.
In the 2023-24 campaign, McCurdy's group set records for team low scoring average in a season and saw two of his current golfers move into the top three of the team's all-time leaders for stroke average in a career in Mackenzie Wilson and Tilma. The Shockers were picked to finish last in a 12-team field at the American Athletic Conference Championship, but the Shockers exceeded expectations, finishing in ninth, led by Tilma who tied for 15th.
In 2022-23, McCurdy's group collected their first team tournament win since 2017, winning the Big O Classic by two strokes over Creighton. It was the ninth tournament win for McCurdy as head coach of the Shockers.
During the 2018-19 season, the Shockers claimed the lowest team stroke average in program history with a 301.34 mark. Under McCurdy's guidance, Wichita State collected the program record for lowest 54-hole score with an 875 at the Red Rocks Invitational.
With Wichita State entering a new era in the American Athletic Conference for the 2017-18 season, McCurdy helped the Shockers find immediate success. He guided Taryn Torgerson to shoot the lowest 18-hole and 54-hole score in program history at the AAC Championship, giving her the school's first AAC individual championship.
In 2017, McCurdy led the Shockers to second place in their final appearance at the MVC championship while Taryn Torgerson and Gavrilla Arya earned all-conference honors for the second straight season. Under McCurdy's guidance, Torgerson re-wrote her own 54-hole and season stroke average records which she set the previous season. The Second place finish as a team ultimately meant the Shockers finished their stint in the Valley as the most successful program in the past five seasons with three championships and two runner-up finishes since 2013.
The Shockers won their third-straight Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 2015-16, carding a Championship-record score of 884 (287-289-298) to finish 13 strokes ahead of Indiana State. Torgerson became the third golfer in program history to earn medalist honors, and was named All-Conference along with Bryce Schroeder, Meghan Jack, and Arya. McCurdy was named the MVC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. WSU advanced to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, finishing in 17th place. The Shockers re-wrote every top ten list, breaking various records on the way to what would ultimately be considered the best statistical season in program history. The team also had five All-American Scholars, and received a Team GPA Award from the Women's Golf Coaches Association. The team had the 13th-highest GPA in the nation.
The Shockers won their second-straight Missouri Valley Conference championship in 2014-15 by carding a 924 (301-311-312) to defeat second-place Missouri State by 13 strokes. Senior Alejandra Arellano became just the second golfer in school history to earn medalist honors and she was named all-conference along with sophomore Maria Alejandra Villalobos. WSU advanced to the NCAA Raleigh Regional and finished 16th.
In the fall of 2014, McCurdy guided the Shockers to a school record 54-hole score of 896 at The Johnie Imes Invitational and sophomore Maria Alejandra Villalobos tied the 54-hole school record of 216 and won the MSU/Payne Stewart Memorial. It was the first individual win by a Shocker since 2010-11.
McCurdy earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2013-14 after guiding the team to the first Missouri Valley Conference championship in school history. It was the first team championship for the Shockers since the 1992 team won the Gateway Conference. The team carded a then-school record 900 (297-304-299) in the 54-hole Valley championship. With the win, the team advanced to the NCAA Stillwater Regional and finished 22nd.
Under McCurdy’s guidance, Alejandra Arellano finished in a tie for second at the MVC Championship and earned all-conference honors along with Meghan Schuetz and Bryce Schroeder. Schuetz was also honored as the Elite 18 winner and a first team all-Valley Scholar-Athlete. During the season, Schuetz also set the school record for 54 holes with a 216 at the MSU/Payne Stewart Memorial.
The Shocker women capped the 2012-13 season with a runner-up finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, with freshman Bryce Schroeder coming in a tie for second individually. Schroeder’s second place finish also landed her a spot on the MVC all-conference team. With McCurdy’s guidance, the Shockers carded the second-best 54-hole score in Wichita State women’s gold history with a 909 (304-292-313) at the Mountain View Collegiate, and their second-round 292 was good for third in the Shocker record book. Senior Hollie Weatherburn was also named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention Team.
During the 2011-12 season, McCurdy led the Shockers to a win at the Monterey Bay Invitational, which was the program’s third tournament win in the past two seasons. The Shockers also improved their stroke average from 327 during the 2008-09 season to 311 in 2011-12. With McCurdy’s guidance, the Shocker women also claimed the two best 18-hole scores in Wichita State history as Gretchen Huhnerkoch shot a 67 at the UALR Women’s Golf Classic and Daniela Rugeles shot a 69 and the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic.
WSU won two tournaments in a season during 2010-11 for the first time since the 1991-92 season. The Shockers were able to set numerous individual and team records throughout the 2010-11 campaign. At the conclusion of the season, seniors Lauren Hassell and Adin Stromgren both earned All-Conference honors from the Missouri Valley.
McCurdy guided the Shockers from a ninth place finish at the Missouri Valley Championship in his first season to a second place finish at the 2011 MVC Championship. The Shocks finished behind host Illinois State for the programs best MVC finish since the 1992 season.
The Shockers have been very successful in the classroom under McCurdy having been recognized in the spring of 2010 by the National Golf Coaches Association for their 3.589 team GPA, good for seventh among all NCAA Division I schools. In 2011, they posted a 3.607 GPA, good for 24th among all collegiate golf programs. Hassell and sophomore Gretchen Huhnerkoch were both named MVC All-Scholar athletes for their work in the classroom in 2010-11. The American Golf Coaches Association named both Huhnerkoch and Natalie Samb along with senior Abby Bartlett Academic All-Americans.
McCurdy came to WSU after a six-year stint at Northern Arizona University, where his squads rewrote the NAU record books both on the course and in the classroom. McCurdy’s student-athletes have earned numerous honors, including a Big Sky Conference title, nine all-Big Sky first team honors and 23 Big Sky all-academic winners, all while improving the Lumberjacks’ team score 7.7 strokes in his six years of work.
McCurdy made an immediate impact on the Northern Arizona women’s golf program, as he became one of just six first-year women’s head coaches to lead their squads to an NCAA regional berth in 2002. The Lumberjacks finished 18th after entering the regional as the 21st seed. That same year McCurdy was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year.
Tom coached six athletes to 11 all-Big Sky selections. In the classroom, he guided 10 athletes to 20 Big Sky All-Academic selections, and in 2004-05, his Lumberjacks posted the fifth-highest grade point average in the country among women’s collegiate golf programs according to the National Golf Coaches Association.
Community service is also important in McCurdy’s coaching philosophy. His team amassed more than 150 hours of community service projects in Fall 2006, including assisting with “Toys 4 Tots” fundraising campaigns, “Red Ribbon Week” activities designed to educate children of the effects of drug abuse, and volunteering at local YMCA branches.
Prior to NAU, McCurdy served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at Washington State University from 1999-2001. He helped lead the Cougar women into the NCAA West Regional for the first time in 2000 while the 2001 men’s squad earned its best Pac-10 Championship finish since 1991. McCurdy also mentored three Washington State golfers who were named all-Pac-10 honorable mention in 2001. Tasha Browner became only the second Cougar woman ever to be named to the all-Pac-10 team after she fired a 67 and 209 to break the school records for single-round and tournament scoring and advanced to the NCAA West Regional as an individual, finishing 68th overall. Browner went on to play on the West Coast Ladies Golf Tour and the Futures Golf Tour, where she placed in the top 25 in two events.
In addition to his coaching duties at Washington State, the Tekoa, Wash., native was the head professional at the Washington State University Golf Course and oversaw all private instruction at the course while teaching classes for the university. McCurdy graduated from the PGA’s Golf Professional Training Program, and is a member of the Professional Golfer’s Association of America.
McCurdy’s collegiate coaching career began at his alma mater, Eastern Washington University, where he was an assistant from 1997-98. During that season, the Eagles had their most successful season in program history. He graduated from EWU in 1994 with a bachelor of arts degree in education.
He is married to the former Jennifer Anderson. They have two daughters, Kayden Lynn, born in July of 2006, and Jaye Elizabeth, born in October of 2007.
