Curley Likes Following His Own Path
May 14, 2025 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
It might be a stretch to say that Brian Curley goes out of his way to be different, but the Georgia pitcher is happy to go his own way when he's compelled to do so.
"I definitely do. It's like I try and walk a little different path on average," the right-handed junior said. "But the biggest thing for me is just being myself. I try to be as much of myself as I can."
By not standing out, unless he's walking barefoot around the field or talking about his use of visualization techniques, Curley is kind of remarkable because of how unremarkable he seems.
On a team with a lot of big bodies and big personalities sporting big mustaches, the 5-foot-10 Curley stands out because he looks like a regular guy. He doesn't have facial hair beyond a little stubble sometimes, there's no hint of a mullet, and though he's in very good shape, he does not immediately strike you as a high-level college athlete the way brawny teammates like Slate Alford and Leighton Finley do.
What does stand out about Curley is how comfortable he is with who he is and what he's doing.
"It's over the last two years, as I've grown in my faith, that's helped me be comfortable in that. It just gives you the confidence to live the way you should, or the way that I think you should," Curley said.
He also credits Wes Johnson, the Bulldogs' Ike Cousins head baseball coach, with allowing him and everyone on the team the freedom to do their thing.
"Things are kind of laissez-faire with Wes for the guys who show that they work, which is everyone. We don't have a guy on this team that doesn't work hard. With Wes, you can do whatever you want as long as you respect the work and the freedom," Curley said. "If you show respect for your freedom, he'll provide respect for you with that freedom.
"Just having the opportunity based on the leadership here has definitely allowed me to be more comfortable in my own skin here than I've felt at any other level."
Curley, from Midlothian, Va., played baseball and golf in high school. It wasn't until his senior year at Trinity Episcopal School that he really thought about pitching in college, he said. He spent his first two years of college at VCU, where he made 11 appearances (with three starts) as a freshman and then led the Rams with a 2.87 ERA in 78.1 innings out of the bullpen as a sophomore.
After entering the transfer portal and talking with Johnson, coming to Georgia was an easy decision.
"One thing that makes Wes such a good coach is the breadth of knowledge that he's amassed over the course of his career in different places. I think what makes him the best is his ability to articulate what people need to hear," Curley said. "He knows his audience really well because he's been around so many different guys."
On the mound this season, Curley has moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation for the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs. Pitchers don't typically move in that direction, but Curley has earned his innings. In fact, heading into this weekend's regular-season ending series against Texas A&M at Foley Field, Curley has pitched a team-high 56.2 innings, with eight starts and 15 appearances. He has a 3.02 ERA, among the lowest on the team, and his .92 WHIP and 70 strikeouts lead the pitching staff.
"First, you've got to think you can be good, right? Then you've got to practice at whatever you think you can be good at, and you've got to start believing. And then you've got to see it, right?" Johnson said of using visualization. "So, seeing it is what I think has really helped him."
Curley said he first got into using visualization thanks to his father, Kevin, a good golfer who used it on the course and encouraged his son to do the same. What began as seeing the putt go in before you hit it has progressed to seeing the pitch hit the target before you throw it.
"To effectively visualize, you have to be able to turn it into something that you can execute," he said. "It's more vivid than just a picture. You have to use multiple senses."
As for the barefoot thing, he just really likes the feel of the grass and dirt underfoot. Walking barefoot helps him feel connected to the field and the game, though that's more of an away-game thing now that Foley Field has turf everywhere.
"I like the dirt and the grass," Curley said. "I won't put my shoes on until I have to throw a baseball."
Barefoot or not, Curley is walking his own path. And it's taking him places.
Staff Writer
It might be a stretch to say that Brian Curley goes out of his way to be different, but the Georgia pitcher is happy to go his own way when he's compelled to do so.
"I definitely do. It's like I try and walk a little different path on average," the right-handed junior said. "But the biggest thing for me is just being myself. I try to be as much of myself as I can."
By not standing out, unless he's walking barefoot around the field or talking about his use of visualization techniques, Curley is kind of remarkable because of how unremarkable he seems.
On a team with a lot of big bodies and big personalities sporting big mustaches, the 5-foot-10 Curley stands out because he looks like a regular guy. He doesn't have facial hair beyond a little stubble sometimes, there's no hint of a mullet, and though he's in very good shape, he does not immediately strike you as a high-level college athlete the way brawny teammates like Slate Alford and Leighton Finley do.
What does stand out about Curley is how comfortable he is with who he is and what he's doing.
"It's over the last two years, as I've grown in my faith, that's helped me be comfortable in that. It just gives you the confidence to live the way you should, or the way that I think you should," Curley said.
He also credits Wes Johnson, the Bulldogs' Ike Cousins head baseball coach, with allowing him and everyone on the team the freedom to do their thing.
"Things are kind of laissez-faire with Wes for the guys who show that they work, which is everyone. We don't have a guy on this team that doesn't work hard. With Wes, you can do whatever you want as long as you respect the work and the freedom," Curley said. "If you show respect for your freedom, he'll provide respect for you with that freedom.
"Just having the opportunity based on the leadership here has definitely allowed me to be more comfortable in my own skin here than I've felt at any other level."
Curley, from Midlothian, Va., played baseball and golf in high school. It wasn't until his senior year at Trinity Episcopal School that he really thought about pitching in college, he said. He spent his first two years of college at VCU, where he made 11 appearances (with three starts) as a freshman and then led the Rams with a 2.87 ERA in 78.1 innings out of the bullpen as a sophomore.
After entering the transfer portal and talking with Johnson, coming to Georgia was an easy decision.
"One thing that makes Wes such a good coach is the breadth of knowledge that he's amassed over the course of his career in different places. I think what makes him the best is his ability to articulate what people need to hear," Curley said. "He knows his audience really well because he's been around so many different guys."
On the mound this season, Curley has moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation for the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs. Pitchers don't typically move in that direction, but Curley has earned his innings. In fact, heading into this weekend's regular-season ending series against Texas A&M at Foley Field, Curley has pitched a team-high 56.2 innings, with eight starts and 15 appearances. He has a 3.02 ERA, among the lowest on the team, and his .92 WHIP and 70 strikeouts lead the pitching staff.
"First, you've got to think you can be good, right? Then you've got to practice at whatever you think you can be good at, and you've got to start believing. And then you've got to see it, right?" Johnson said of using visualization. "So, seeing it is what I think has really helped him."
Curley said he first got into using visualization thanks to his father, Kevin, a good golfer who used it on the course and encouraged his son to do the same. What began as seeing the putt go in before you hit it has progressed to seeing the pitch hit the target before you throw it.
"To effectively visualize, you have to be able to turn it into something that you can execute," he said. "It's more vivid than just a picture. You have to use multiple senses."
As for the barefoot thing, he just really likes the feel of the grass and dirt underfoot. Walking barefoot helps him feel connected to the field and the game, though that's more of an away-game thing now that Foley Field has turf everywhere.
"I like the dirt and the grass," Curley said. "I won't put my shoes on until I have to throw a baseball."
Barefoot or not, Curley is walking his own path. And it's taking him places.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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