Joel Harrison is in his second year as a member of the UWF women's basketball staff after joining the program in April 2021. Harrison is the program's recruiting coordinator and assists with on-court coaching and game plan development.
The 7-member recruiting class from the off-season was instrumental in UWF's 22-7 overall record and 20-4 Gulf South Conference mark. Jaclyn Jarnot capped off a phenomenal 2-year run in Pensacola by being named to the WBCA and D2 CCA All-America teams following GSC Player of the Year honors and a spot on the College Sports Communicator's Academic All-America team. As a senior in 2022-23, she averaged 16.0 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, recorded 61 steals and 27 blocked shots, while shooting 44 percent from the floor in 33 minutes per game.
In 2021-22, UWF compiled a 19-8 record and finished fourth in the Gulf South Conference at 13-5 after being picked eighth in the preseason. The Argonauts averaged 77 points and 41 rebounds per game, due in large part to the front court duo of Jaclyn Jarnot (First Team All-GSC and All-Region) and Zoe Piller (GSC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-GSC). They combined to average 31.4 points and 21.9 rounds per game.
Prior to arriving in Pensacola, he spent 10 years at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. working with both the men's and women's programs, including his final three seasons as the women's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
"I am excited to add a future rock star in the coaching profession to our staff," UWF head coach Stephanie Lawrence Yelton said. "Joel is an established recruiter who gets results. He is an experienced floor coach who has been part of a winning program and I can't wait to have him work with our players on a daily basis."
"I am extremely humbled and grateful for Coach Yelton believing in me and allowing me to be her assistant and recruiting coordinator," Harrison said. "West Florida is an elite level program and I look forward to helping this program contend for championships for many years to come. I believe in the vision and direction that Coach Yelton has in place for this program and when I was offered the position, it was a no brainer for me. This is a huge step for me in my young coaching career and I am truly thankful to be an Argonaut."
Since being elevated to the assistant coach in 2018, he has overseen all recruiting activity while identifying prospects and making player evaluations. His efforts paid off in the form of two All-Americans, nine All-Conference selections, two All-Freshman performers, one Freshman of the Year and a Player of the Year.
Off the court, 17 Faulkner student-athletes were named All-Academic and 10 were placed onto the NAIA Scholar-Athlete list. Additionally, he coordinated the Eagles' Play 4 Kay fundraising initiatives that has seen them raise the most money in NAIA nine of the past 11 years.
He was a graduate assistant for Reed Sutton's women's program in the 2017-18 campaign, helping the Eagles advance to the Round of 32 at the NAIA National Tournament with a 26-6 record.
Harrison also coached the Faulkner Junior Varsity program to a 23-13 mark in three of the past four seasons, including a school-record 10-1 ledger in 2017-18.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Faulkner in December of 2016. He served as a student manager with the men's program during his undergraduate years, as the program won 121 games and made a pair of runs in the NAIA National Tournament in 2013 and 2016.
