Sport(s) | Women's college basketball |
---|---|
Current position | |
Title | Head coach |
Team | Georgetown |
Conference | Big East |
Biographical details | |
Born |
Silver Spring, Maryland |
September 7, 1972
Playing career | |
1991–1993 | Pensacola JC |
1993–1994 | South Florida |
Position(s) | Power forward |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1998–2004 | Georgetown (assistant) |
2004–2012 | Wake Forest (assistant/associate) |
2012–2014 | College of Charleston |
2014–present | Georgetown |
Natasha Denean Adair (née Barnes; born September 7, 1972) is the head women's college basketball coach for the Georgetown Hoyas. She replaced head coach Jim Lewis prior to the 2014–2015 season and is the ninth in the history of the program.
Born Natasha Barnes in Silver Spring, Maryland, she attended Albert Einstein High School, where she was a track star, leading her team to the state championship and the Penn Relays Invitational, before switching to play basketball. She went on to be named as a USA All-American in high school basketball and began to receive interest from several college coaches, namely University of Connecticut's Geno Auriemma.
Following Adair's anterior cruciate ligament injury in 1990, Auriemma did not want her on his team. However, University of South Florida Coach Trudi Lacey called with a plan for Adair to go to Pensacola, Florida, to receive treatment. After the treatment, she could play at Pensacola Junior College and, if recovery went well, transfer to South Florida. Adair went to Pensacola and played the following season, leading her team in rebounding and to two state championships. Lacey monitored her progression, and Adair transferred to South Florida. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication and still maintains the single season rebounding record.
Following Adair's playing career, she went on to be an assistant coach at Georgetown (1998–2004) and Wake Forest (2004–2012). At Georgetown, she was primarily responsible for the post players. At Wake Forest, she was recruiting coordinator and post coach, before being promoted to associate head coach in 2007.