Former Gophers basketball captain Eric Curry flourishing in role working with Big Ten

Eric Curry was the heart and soul of Gophers basketball during his six seasons with the program, so it was almost like he never left Minnesota when he came back to town this week.

At Big Ten media days in Minneapolis, Curry was able to reconnect with his former coach Ben Johnson and teammate Jamison Battle, who represented the Gophers at Target Center.

The next phase of Curry's life doesn't involve playing or coaching basketball, but he's been excited about the chance to build a career in another side of the college sports landscape.

After graduating with his master's degree in the spring, the 24-year-old Memphis native accepted a position in the Big Ten's fellowship program to work with Commissioner Kevin Warren's staff in Chicago.

"The opportunity [Warren] presented me was definitely the best route and something I see myself doing in the future," Curry said. "The great part of the fellowship is I get to work with any department in the conference that I want to. It's about my interests and where I see a fit."

Curry's currently working in the events and operations department in the Big Ten, which put together the league's first ever media day in Minneapolis.

"We're also doing events like the Big Ten tournaments and Big Ten [football] championship," Curry said. "It's a two-year thing. And I can change and go in a different direction in the second year. The commissioner is super busy, but he's been amazing."

During his injury-plagued career with the Gophers, Curry overcame multiple season-ending injuries to become the U's starting center in Johnson's first year as head coach. He initially joined Johnson's staff as a grad assistant before transitioning back into playing last summer.

"That last season was awesome for me from a mental and physical standpoint," Curry said. "Coach Johnson, Coach [Dave] Thorson, Coach [Jason] Kemp and Coach [Marcus] Jenkins instilled motivation in me that I thought I had lost."

Curry finally got to play with his old high school AAU teammate Payton Willis, who transferred back to the U. He also took the court in front of Gophers fans at Williams Arena, something taken away from him during the pandemic the previous season.

More than anything, Curry wanted to show Gophers faithful he still could have a significant role on the floor. He averaged a career-best 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 26 games.

"Giving them a little taste of what was promised back when I was younger," Curry said. "I showed fans that I could play last year, and it was the best feeling in the world."

Even with the Gophers struggling to turn around their season, Curry had no regrets about coming back. He helped establish the culture for Gophers basketball under Johnson.

"Being one of those leaders and key pieces he can use for the future to show hard work and dedication to this state," Curry said. "It's definitely something I take pride in now."