Cara Currier to retire after over two decades of service

When you think of the Athletic Department here at the University of St. Francis (USF) you think of Dave Laketa and Cara Currier. At the end of this semester however, that will change. Assistant Director and women’s volleyball coach Cara Currier will be retiring at the conclusion of the spring term. 

Currier has spent 24 years as the head coach of the women’s volleyball team. Prior to that she experienced coaching at various high schools, youth teams and junior colleges. Currier has been coaching the sport since she graduated from college. 

She began her time at USF originally through an internship program in the athletic department where she began as the assistant volleyball coach. Following the conclusion of her internship, Currier took over as the head volleyball coach in 2002. 

From all these years of coaching, there is one memory that sticks out from Currier’s career most. 

“Winning at Doane University in the 2012 season,” Currier said. “We had a really good team, we had won the regular season and I think the conference tournament and qualified for Nationals. It was the opening round at Doane in Nebraska and we had to play Doane. It was 100% a situation where we were the underdogs.”

“We had a phenomenal player on the team that year that was up for Player of the Year in the conference. Then, a couple weeks out before the end of our season, she blew out her ACL,” said Currier. “We pulled together as a team and did what we needed to do, but we had to do work to not fall apart. We went to Doane and it was a tremendous environment and we ended up beating them in 5 [sets].”

While this is an achievement that sticks out to Currier, she is most proud of the athletes that come through her program and seeing them as adults. 

“Honestly, I think the number of really awesome adults that I can say were USF alumni,” Currier said. “I feel like in all my years here, ultimately I feel like that’s what my job really is.”

Currier explained that watching her players transition from first year students to fourth year stars to later becoming young adults is most rewarding.

“I really honestly feel that that’s what my job is, to help facilitate maturation,” Currier said. “If we can win games along the way I think it makes the experience more enjoyable.” 

To have the success that Currier has had with her volleyball team throughout the years she brings it back to one thing, team culture. 

“We carry a tradition that the kids we do have are warm and welcoming with the new kids that come in and create that culture and take it through. Just getting everyone on board with the idea that it is we, not me,” Currier said. “I can’t say that in the 25 years I’ve been here we’ve been 100% successful every single year. But I certainly think an overwhelming majority of the seasons we’ve had, regardless of the win or loss column, we've had just awesome collections of kids.”

As much time as Currier spent educating her student athletes she feels that she has also learned from them in her time here. 

“Just remember it’s them, not me. Whenever we have success, it is we that have success. When we win the conference championships and all that stuff. I ,Cara Currier, did not do that. It was the team. It was the 2012 team. It was the 2016 team. Those were the teams, and it was we. It was a collective.” 

Currier appreciates all of her players and the environment they have worked hard to create together and the time they have spent on team bonding activities. 

“Not everybody has the same roles, but everybody’s roles are as valuable to the whole experience and the whole success we have,” she said.

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