Harding University Women's Basketball

AT HARDING The 2025-26 season is the 21st as head women's basketball coach for the Lady Bisons' Tim Kirby. He has led the Lady Bisons to 19 straight conference tournament berths and directed the 2017 team to a 31-4 record and an appearance in the national semifinals. Kirby's teams have won four Great American Conference regular season championships (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020) and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament five times. The 2015, 2017 and 2025 teams also won the GAC Tournament. In his 20 seasons as head coach, Kirby has compiled a 401-183 overall record. He earned GAC Coach of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Kirby has coached 51 all-conference honorees, three conference players of the year, seven conference freshmen of the year and six GAC Elite Scholar Athletes. Kirby's first 12 years at Harding were spent as assistant men's basketball coach.  The Bisons earned nine postseason playoff appearances while Kirby assisted head coach Jeff Morgan.  BEFORE HARDING Before coming to Harding, Kirby spent five years at NJCAA member Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Oklahoma.  Kirby was the assistant men's basketball coach from 1988-1990 and head men's basketball coach from 1990-1993. EDUCATION Coach Kirby's playing experience was at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1986.  His master's degree was earned from GAC member institution, East Central University, in 1990. FAMILY The Lawton, Oklahoma, native and wife, Kathy, have two sons, Zach and Mitchell.   Kirby's Coaching Record Overall Conference Year W L Pct. W L Pct. Finish 2005-06 12 15 .444 4 12 .250 t-7th 2006-07 19 10 .655 8 6 .571 4th 2007-08 18 10 .643 8 6 .571 3rd 2008-09 20 10 .667 5 9 .357 5th 2009-10 17 12 .586 8 6 .571 3rd 2010-11 18 10 .643 8 6 .571 4th 2011-12 18 11 .621 9 7 .563 4th 2012-13 19 9 .679 14 6 .700 3rd 2013-14 29 3 .906 19 1 .950 1st 2014-15 23 7 .767 16 4 .800 1st 2015-16 17 10 .630 15 7 .682 2nd 2016-17 31 4 .886 21 1 .955 1st 2017-18 18 15 .545 12 10 .545 4th 2018-19 21 9 .700 15 7 .682 t-3rd 2019-20 19 10 .655 16 6 .727 t-1st 2020-21 7 8 .467 6 7 .462 3rd-E 2021-22 19 10 .655 14 8 .636 3rd 2022-23 25 7 .781 19 3 .864 2nd 2023-24 26 6 .812 19 3 .864 2nd 2024-25 25 7 .781 18 4 .818 2nd Total 401 183 .687 254 119 .681

At Harding Rusty Garner joined the women's basketball coaching staff in 2024-25. In his first season, Harding went 25-7, finished second in the GAC regular season, won the GAC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament. Before Harding Garner spent four years as the assistant girls coach at Harding Academy, helping the Lady Wildcats to the 2004 Class AA state championship. In 2007, he took over as head coach and compiled a 374-164 record over the next 17 seasons, averaging 22 wins per year. The Lady Wildcats advanced to the state tournament in 15 of those 17 seasons making the state quarterfinals eight times, the state semifinals three times and the state championship game in 2014. The team also won eight conference tournaments and reached nine regional finals. Garner was named conference coach of the year nine times, state coach of the year in 2014 and coached in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star game four times. Garner also led the Harding Academy softball team as head coach for 13 seasons where the team advanced to the state semifinals four times and the state championship game twice. Education Garner earned his Bachelor of Arts in in kinesiology at Harding in 2004 and his master's in kinesiology and sport administration in 2022. Family Garner is married to the former Rachel Roland of Memphis, Tennessee.