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UD names new women's basketball coach

Tom Byrne
/
Delaware Public Media

The University of Delaware welcomed its new women’s basketball coach to campus Monday.

Natasha Adair is UD’s choice to take the reins of its women’s hoop program.

"She's a listener.  She's a teacher. She values the lessons you are able to learn through the power of basketball," said UD Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak when she introduced Adair.  " She's about family.  She leads with integrity.  She's a champion.  And she's fun."

Adair replaces Tina Martin, who stepped down just over two weeks ago after 21 seasons at the helm.

Adair come from Georgetown, where she’s been head coach the past three seasons.  The Hoyas went 4-17 in her first season, but followed that with 16-14 and 17-13 campaigns that yielded back-to-back trips to the WNIT.  

Some might consider the move a step down, leaving Georgetown and the Big East Conference for Delaware and the mid-major Colonial Athletic Association, but Adair disagrees.  She says the Blue Hens’ past suggests it can set the bar higher.

We may be in a conference that’s considered mid-major, but this is a program that’s been on the national scene," said Adair.  "And so the foundation is right.  And the leadership, in my opinion, is right. So, it’s the perfect decision for me and my family – and also a very good professional decision."

She also knows a bit about the Blue Hens, coaching Georgetown wins over UD in each of the past two seasons.  And she says that familiarity with Delaware also helped draw her to Newark

Credit Tom Byrne / Delaware Public Media
/
Delaware Public Media
Natasha Adair speaks with Blue Hen players after being introduced as UD's new women's basketball coach.

"It did.  Honestly, it did," said Adair. "And just the atmosphere – our alumni base, our fan base, just being in the Bob Carpenter – it’s electric. And I can’t lie, you want to be a part of that."

Adair is just the 4th head coach in the UD women’s hoop program’s 46-year history .  She's also the team’s first ever African-American head coach and only the second on the current Blue Hen roster of coaches, joining women's cross country and track and field coach Wendy McFarlane-Smith.

Adair will try to build back a program that’s been unable to top the 16 win mark the past three seasons and failed to advance out of CAA tournament quarterfinals for the first time ever this year.

But before she gets fully started with UD, Adair serve as a trials coach for USA Basketball as it selects of its roster the 2017 under-19 World Cup nex week in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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