Photo: Mark Campbell
The Arizona State University Sun Devils have hired the University of Delaware’s Natasha Adair as their next head coach. Adair will be replacing Sun Devils’ Charli Turner-Thorne, who is retiring after 25 years as the head coach there.
Everywhere Coach Adair has coached, she has made the team a successful program from where was it before she took over. She will look to continue that streak at Arizona State.
Under Adair, the Blue Hens were 95-58, made two WNIT appearances ( including winning regional Champions in 2021), captured the CAA tournament title this year, and took the program to their first NCAA tournament since the 2012-2013 season. In the last two seasons, she had led Delaware to 25-4 and 24-8 records. Also, Delaware had a 20-2 record at home in the last two seasons under Coach Adair.
During her time at Delaware, Adair earned the CAA Coach of the Year honors in the 2020-2021 season as she led the team to a 25-4 record, CAA regular-season title, and WNIT run that led to the semifinals.
She hit a big milestone this season, as she earned her 150th win with a 86-84 overtime victory over College of Charleston on January 7th.
One thing I always noticed covering the Blue Hens under Coach Adair was they were always a great rebounding team, and the stats show it. In her five seasons as the University of Delaware coach, the team outrebounded their opponents 6,233 to 5,438.
Under Coach Adair, this team knew how to score as they averaged 66.9 points in her five seasons as head coach of the Blue Hens.
Let’s not forget her time at the University of Delaware advocating for social justice, the program’s mantra for the past two seasons says it all, “Action over Words”. She encouraged her players to use their voices to bring about change in the state of Delaware, and the team responded using their platform, which led to a bill passing in Delaware banning police chokeholds.
Before coming to the Blue Hens, Adair coached Georgetown University where she led the team to two WNIT appearances. She started her head coaching journey at the College of Charleston, where she took the team to two Women’s Basketball invitational appearances.
In the ASU’s announcement, Coach Adair tells the program she is ready for the challenge and to continue the success of her new school.
“For nearly three decades, I’ve had the honor and privilege to coach and develop women student-athletes and am grateful for the opportunity to continue to do so here at ASU and in the Pac-12,” Adair continued. “From the moment I stepped onto campus, I knew this was the place for me to build and grow our women’s basketball program to a national power. We truly have it all. I am committed to leading with character and passion, ensuring our student-athletes win on and off the court, graduate, and serve – the ‘Sun Devil Way’! ASU has a tradition of success, and me and my staff will work tirelessly to win.”
Arizona State fans, you got a good one.
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