From a young age, Joey Curtin ’01, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach and Alumni Director, found his passion for basketball and teamwork.
As a child growing up in San Francisco, he was surrounded by and played with kids who were determined, competitive, and wanted to win as much as he did. This environment helped him develop his values and attitudes.
His passion for basketball further developed as he was watching basketball at the high school, college, and NBA levels. One of his biggest inspirations was Michael Jordan as he admired his degree of excellence and wanted to emulate it in his own life.
His other inspiration was his mom, who coached a girls CYO volleyball team and always brought him along to the games, gyms, and rides she gave players back home. This taught him about relationships, mentorship, and the ability to make a lasting impact on young people’s lives.
Coach Curtin has been involved in Riordan basketball for two decades. He loved playing basketball at Riordan for four years when he was a student. His first coaching experience was coaching his younger brother’s CYO team when he was in college.
During this time, he volunteered and stayed involved with the Riordan basketball team. He joined as a Riordan assistant coach 19 years ago. His passion then became a reality, as he had always wanted to coach.
He shared, “I loved the strategy and preparation behind it. The game planning, anticipation, and trying to outwork and out think opponents.”
As a coach, Curtin brings structure, discipline, and high standards to the team. He cares deeply about his athletes, not just as valuable players, but as people. He teaches the values of sacrifice, integrity, accountability, and selflessness.
He also teaches his players how to overcome challenges such as a heartbreaking loss, which helps them build character and resilience. He’s particularly proud of the fact that the team has not lost two games in a row (excluding the COVID season) since 2020.
He takes setbacks as teaching opportunities to strengthen the culture of the team. This allows his players to aspire to something bigger than just playing for themselves. He takes great pride in seeing them grow on and off the court. His demanding approach resonates with many players.
Player Andrew Hilman ’26 shared, “Since I have been here, Coach Curtin has been pushing me really hard by saying, ‘You only need to be one percent better every day.’ He tells me when I’m wrong or right. Without him being truthful with me, I don’t think I would’ve progressed.”
This year, Curtin stepped into a new role as Alumni Director, expanding his presence on the court to the greater Riordan community.
It’s not only his students who appreciate and benefit from his company. Jennifer Curtin Niemeyer, Dean of Students and Varsity Volleyball coach who also happens to be his sister, finds working with him to be a real gift.
She stated, “Not only is he my brother, whom I trust and know so well, but he is also a great resource for me. Because of his experience at Riordan as a student-athlete and a longtime coach, I get to tap into his knowledge and understanding of our families, our young men in particular, and what it takes to create a winning program that our young people are proud to be a part of.”
Coach Joey Curtin finds deep meaning and true purpose in his work. He said, “More than anything, it’s about changing lives.Seeing guys earn scholarships, oftentimes becoming the first in their family to go to college,
and continuing to chase their basketball dreams, that’s what makes it all worth it.”
