LEE COUNTY, Fla. — In 2019, Tonysha Curry balled out for Florida Southwestern women’s basketball. The guard spent her sophomore season with the Buccaneers. Curry earned All-Conference honors while averaging seven points and six rebounds a game. She was also an integral part of the Bucs winning their first game ever in the NJCAA National Tournament.
“Coming to FSW, I was trying to get my life back on track,” Curry said.
After FSW, Curry went on to play at the Division I level at Stetson and Indiana State. Once her playing days were over, Tonysha began coaching. Then, when this off-season came around, it just so happened that her former school had an assistant coach opening.
“I called her right up,” FSW women’s basketball head coach Jerald Ellis said.
Curry was the first call Ellis made when trying to fill the position. He said she was the clear choice and was very excited when she picked up. That feeling was mutual.
“When I got on the phone with him it was like I was talking to my dad or my long-lost friend,” Curry said.
Curry accepted the offer, so that the ‘long-lost’ title could be removed.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Curry said.
Curry is the first former FSW athlete to return to Fort Myers to coach the Buccaneers. That familiarity is already paying dividends for Ellis and his team.
“She’s been here,” Ellis said. “She knows what our expectations are. So it just runs like a really smooth engine.”
Curry’s coaching style is just like her playing style — tough.
“She has very high expectations,” freshman guard Makenna Shaffer said. “She’s brought the best out of me and she knows to never let up.”
That tough coaching comes from her own experiences. Curry wants to instill that into her players, along with other life lessons.
“Work ethic, facing adversity and overcoming adversity is going to be what drives success,” Curry said. “That’s my story and I just want to instill that in the next generation of athletes.”
Curry and the Buccaneers begin conference play this Saturday at Miami Dade. FSW is currently 3-4.