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Chris Curry (11) head coach Little Rock Trojans vs LSU Tigers in game 1 of the Baton Rouge Regional at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Friday, May 30, 2025 (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos)
Little Rock has agreed to a contract extension with head coach Chris Curry that will keep him in charge of the Trojans through the 2030 season.
The new deal caps a landmark year for Curry and the Trojans, who reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since 2011 and won a postseason game for the first time in program history. Little Rockâ€s run ended in Baton Rouge, where it pushed eventual national champion LSU to an elimination game in one of the most-watched regionals of the year.
It was the kind of breakthrough that redefined the programâ€s national perception. The Trojans entered the conference tournament below .500 but caught fire at the right time, riding a complete-game performance from righthander Jack Cline, the teamâ€s projected 2026 ace, to capture the league title and automatic bid.
For a team that had never won on the NCAA stage, the moment validated a decade of incremental growth under Curry, who is intent on ensuring 2025 was a beginning rather than a blip.
“Weâ€re serious about the future of Little Rock baseball,†he told Baseball America. “Weâ€re here to stay and really want to win.â€
Curry said this yearâ€s roster is the most physical and talent-rich the program has assembled during his tenure. The Trojans return a core of veterans from last spring and have supplemented it with an older transfer class drawn to the momentum of the postseason run.
“It means to me that they are serious about winning here for a long time,†Curry said of his extension. “We talked through a lot of details that took three or four months to see investment in baseball from the chancellor down to the AD. I wanted to see the tangible investment in our program and our staff. I wanted to make sure all of that was right before talking about me personally.â€
That investment, Curry said, extends beyond his contract. Facility improvements, enhanced recruiting resources and staff support were all part of the discussions that preceded the deal. The goal, he emphasized, is to make Little Rock a consistent postseason contender rather than a once-a-decade story.
Curry, 47, has led the Trojans since 2015, becoming the longest-tenured head coach in program history. By the start of the 2027 season, he will have guided the team through two conference realignments—first from the Sun Belt to the Ohio Valley in 2023, and again to the newly formed United Athletic Conference. Each move has required recalibration in recruiting and scheduling, challenges Curry has met with a steady hand.
The 2025 season showcased what patience and persistence can yield. Little Rockâ€s postseason appearance marked the culmination of years spent developing players overlooked by larger programs and establishing a gritty, player-first culture. Clineâ€s title-game masterpiece became emblematic of that ethos—an unheralded righty delivering on one of the biggest stages in school history.
As the Trojans continue fall practices, the energy around the program is unmistakably different.
“Thereâ€s a lot of excitement about baseball in Little Rock right now,†Curry said. “This has historically been more of a basketball school. Thereâ€s no football here. But we have some momentum in baseball now and weâ€re really looking forward to the future.â€
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