Curtin joined Emory University as track and field coach at the start of the 1985-86 school year. His belief in individualized training programs has resulted in athletic and academic success for his student-athletes within a team concept.

In his 33 years at Emory, Curtin's track and field athletes have amassed five individual National Championships, 142 All-America certificates, 51 conference Most Valuable Performer awards, and 490 conference event championships.

Curtin was selected the region Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track Coaches Association for the 1994 outdoor season, 2003 indoor season (men), 2003 outdoor season (men), the 2004 outdoor season (men), the 2009 outdoor season (women), the 2010 indoor season (women), the 2011 indoor season (women), the 2012 outdoor season (women), both the 2013 indoor (women) and outdoor (women) seasons, both the 2016 indoor (women) and outdoor (women) seasons, the 2017 outdoor (women) season and both indoor and outdoor (women) in 2018..  On 21 occassions, he and his assistants have been honored by the University Athletic Association (UAA) as its track and field "Coaching Staff of the Year," most recently during the 2015 men's and outdoor season.

During the 2018 season, Curtin helped the Eagles women's team to new heights as Emory finished eighth at the indoor NCAA Championships and fifth at the outdoor NCAA Championships, both representing the highest ever finishes for an Emory women's team. The Eagles posted a combined nine All-America finishes including five national runner-up showings. Curtin directly oversaw senior Gabrielle Stravach who registered national runner-up finishes in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500m Run.

In 2016, Curtin guided the Eagle men's indoor and outdoor teams to their best NCAA finish since the 2008 season and oversaw Emory's second-ever men's outdoor National Champion with sophomore Daniel Pietsch capturing the 400m Dash crown. For the women, Curtin led the Eagles to a top-3 finish in both the indoor and outdoor UAA Championships and saw the indoor 4x400m Relay team claim the highest NCAA finish in school history (2nd) at the 2016 NCAA Championships.

The 2015 outdoor campaign proved to be another successful year for the Emory University men's track and field team, including a pair of all-America honors and the team's first University Athletic Association Outdoor Championship since the 2004 season, and fifth overall in the program's history.

In 2014, the Emory women's team recorded all-America finishes in three indoor and four outdoor events.  Emory men's and women's athletes set a combined 11 program records during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.  2013 proved to be a banner year for Curtin and the Eagles, recording the best finish ever by an Emory women’s squad at the NCAA Indoor Championships (tied for ninth) and tying for 16^th-place at the Outdoor Championships.  Eagles claimed all-America honors in seven individual events and one relay during the year, and the Emory women won both the indoor and outdoor UAA titles, just the second time in the program’s history that the team has swept the two conference championship meets during a year.  Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Curtin oversaw an indoor conference Most Outstanding Performer, four individual championships, and two Academic All-Americans.

In 2012, Curtin was named the South/ Southeast Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, and the UAA Outdoor Coach of the Year for the third year in a row. He led the women's squad to the UAA Outdoor Championship, the 10th UAA Title claimed by the Emory women, and 19 overall between the men's and women's squads.  Four of Emory's athletes qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships during the year, and an additional eight qualified for the NCAA Outdoor meet, with the Eagles claiming all-America honors in the women's indoor high jump, and the women's outdoor 400m and 1600m relays. 

From 2010-11, Curtin helped lead the Emory women to three-straight UAA Championships, two during the outdoor season (2010 and 2011) and one during the indoor campaign (2011).  Curtin was named the South/Southeast Women's Indoor Coach of the year in 2011.  In 2010, Curtin oversaw all-American performances from three different athletes, coached two team members to South/Southeast Region Indoor Performer of the Year honors and two UAA Most Outstanding Performer honors.

In 2009 season Curtin helped lead the Emory men's track and field team to the UAA Indoor Track and Field Championship, and coached members of the women's team to all-America finishes in the indoor long jump and the outdoor 4x100-meter relay.  Curtin was named the region's Coach of the Year in 2009.  During the 2008 season, Curtin saw his team members combine for 14 all-America certificates between the indoor and outdoor seasons.  His men's outdoor track and field team in 2008, which totaled eight all-America honors, finished seventh in the nation, the best finish in the program's history.

Curtin also oversaw a 10th-place finish by the Emory men's team at the 2004 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships. On the women's side, Curtin coached four All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 2002 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships, including two national champions (steeplechase and hammer). The women's team finished ninth, the best finish in school history, at the NCAA championships.

Other career highlights include three All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 2001 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships, including a national hammer throw champion; an All-America javelin thrower in 2000; eight All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 1997 NCAA outdoor championships; a national triple jump champion in 1995; and a school-record five All-Americans at the 1994 NCAA outdoor championships. That same year, Curtin was honored as the region's Coach of the Year.

Prior to Emory, Curtin was the head men's cross country and track and field coach at Simpson College (Iowa) from 1979-85. He also coached the Simpson women's cross country and track teams for two years. In 1995, Curtin was inducted into Simpson's Sports Hall of Fame.