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Harding University Athletics

Tim Kirby

The 2024-25 season will be the 20th as head women's basketball coach for the Lady Bisons' Tim Kirby. He has led the Lady Bisons to 18 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 four times. The 2015 and 2017 teams also won the GAC Tournament.

In his 19 seasons as head coach, Kirby has compiled a 376-176 overall record. He earned GAC Coach of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2020.

Kirby has coached 47 all-conference honorees, three conference players of the year, seven conference freshmen of the year and five 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 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.

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.

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
Total 376 176 .681 236 115 .672

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