Over the last two decades, Todd Curran has had many memorable moments as the women's soccer coach for San Diego Mesa College. One memory he recalls was the first game he coached dressed in a tie, slacks, and leather shoes. "I wanted to look professional, so I decided to wear my best outfit. We lost that game and we finished the season under .500. It was a subpar season and I soon realized that without the chance to recruit that first season, getting quality student athletes into the program was a must to succeed at this level.
After that first season, you can say the rest was history. In the last 20 years, the program has only missed the playoffs twice and has claimed the Pacific Coast Conference Championship 10 times.
Coach Curran received his bachelor's degree in biology at University California San Diego. While at UCSD, he played four years of intercollegiate soccer, where he led the Tritons to post-season play in three of the four years, winning the NCAA National Championships in 1991 and 1993. Coach Curran then went on to receive his master's degree in Kinesiology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Coach Curran's coaching stint includes stops at Cuesta College, Mission Prep High School, and trainer for the U17 San Luis Obispo Roadrunners Soccer Club. In addition to his coaching duties, Curran is also a professor at Mesa College. He teaches exercise physiology, health education, weight training, soccer and spin classes. Todd also previously served as the fitness specialist director for 10 years, a program which trains students to become personal trainers.
Last Friday, Curran added yet another accomplishment to his long list, earning his 300th career coaching victory with the Olympians 2-0 win over San Diego City College.
Curran is in his 21st season and has an overall record of 300-96–54, a winning percentage of .726. He has been named Pacific Coast Conference coach of the year in 2000 and women's coach of the year in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Under his guidance, the program has established itself as one of the best programs earning regional and national recognition. The Olympians have received final national rankings of #6 in 2008, #9 in 2007, and #20 in 2016. The 2008 Mesa squad is the only team from San Diego County to ever reach the final four of the state championships.
"Winning 300 games is a culmination of all the great players, assistant coaches and support that I have received through the years. There is no way I would have reached this milestone without the dedication of the student-athletes," said Curran. "Their endless hours and willingness to sacrifice so much is something that I will always appreciate."
Curran's success is rooted in respect, teaching, and hard work. He explains, "respect between a player and coach is a two-way street. In order to get the best out of the player, you have to know what's going on in their lives off the field."
The athletic achievements are impressive. However, Curran believes their success off the field are more important. 'I make it a point to every student-athlete that has ever worn a Mesa jersey the importance of leaving with a degree. Having success in the classroom will help with opportunities both professionally and personally. There are several achievements that I am proud of. Having my student-athletes transfer, earn a degree and play at the next level, is one of my proudest achievements.
Many coaches have been labeled as a legend, but when it comes to Todd, the label suits him well.