Stephen Curry Reacts to Davidson Coach McKillop’s Retirement Announcement

The 2022 NBA Finals MVP and former Wildcats star played under the legendary coach for three seasons.

On the heels of announcing his retirement Friday after 33 seasons, legendary Davidson coach Bob McKillop received a special shoutout from his most prized pupil.

The heartfelt message came from none other than Warriors superstar and Wildcats legend Stephen Curry, who reacted to the bittersweet news less than 24 hours after winning his fourth NBA championship and first NBA Finals MVP. The former All-American and two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year played three seasons under McKillop (2006–09) and led Davidson to the Elite Eight as a sophomore.

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“Love you Coach! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, my family, Davidson and every person you’ve impacted along the way. #TCC #greatdaytobeawildcat,“ Curry wrote on Twitter.

Love you Coach! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, my family, Davidson and every person you’ve impacted along the way. #TCC #greatdaytobeawildcat https://t.co/hG266yUyst

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 17, 2022

Curry’s star has risen considerably since his days at Davidson, but his time in the national spotlight all started under McKillop’s tutelage. Curry transformed from an often overlooked recruit to one of the brightest emerging stars in the country after earning Freshman of the Year honors and leading Davidson to a 29–5 record (17–1 in SoCon) and a NCAA tournament berth in ’06.

Although their postseason trip ended in the Round of 64, the Wildcats came back stronger the following year, going 29–7 overall and 20–0 in conf. play; Curry was named conference POY while McKillop earned SoCon COY. From there, Davidson embarked on a memorable March Madness run as a No. 23 seed, defeating Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin before falling to eventual national champion Kansas. 

Curry ended his college career as Davidson’s all-time leading scorer (2,635) and all-time leader in three-point field-goals made (414) before being drafted with No. 7 pick in 2009. Overall, Curry and McKillop guided the program to a 85–20 record in their time together, winning three straight regular season titles and two conference tournament titles along the way.

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