Bailey Harmon comes to UE after spending a total of four years with the women's basketball program at Western Illinois, three of those seasons as an assistant coach for the Leathernecks. Harmon helped take Western to new heights, as the Leathernecks qualified for the 2015-16 Women's Basketball Invitational. The WBI bid was the first postseason bid under head coach, JD Gravina, Western's first in 10 years (2005-06), and just the fourth postseason tournament appearance in program history. Western's run to the postseason was highlighted by a first round overtime victory over in-state rival Southern Illinois, 99-97. Mallory Boyle's layup with .3 second left gave Western Illinois its first-ever Division I postseason basketball victory, men's or women’s.
Harmon helped guide Western to one of its most prolific scoring seasons in program history during the 2015-2016 season, as the Leathernecks set a new single-season scoring record (2,434), most 3-point field goals in a season (292), and most field goals in a season (856) while ranking in the top-10 all-time in seven additional categories.
She coached eight All-League selections in her time at WIU, including Ashley Luke, who was the 2014-15 Summit League Player of the Year. Luke was also the COSIDA Academic All-America of the Year.
Prior to Western, Harmon concluded her playing career at the University of Illinois-Springfield, captaining the Prariestars during her junior and senior seasons. During her time at UIS, a current Division II institution, Harmon etched her name in the record books for three-point field goals made in a season. A native of Independence, MO, Harmon also earned GLVC Second Team All-Conference and GLVC Academic All-League honors.
After finishing her playing career at UIS, Harmon was elected to participate in the WBCA “So You Want To Be A Coach” program at the 2012 Final Four in Denver, CO. She was only 1 of 50 NCAA female student basketball athletes to be selected for this prestigious program.
Harmon competed as a sophomore at Cottey College, a NJCAA Junior College in Nevada, MO. In her time there, she was named First Team All-Region and was an NJCAA Academic All-American.
Harmon graduated from Illinois-Springfield with a degree in Mathematics in 2012. She completed her master’s degree in Sports Management at Western Illinois in May, 2014. Harmon and her husband, Chad, reside in Evansville with their dog, Hooper.
