Adair brings plenty of head coaching experience at multiple programs.
The Syracuse Orange women’s basketball team filled a key need along the sidelines, and the new hire certainly brings plenty of coaching experience of her own.
Natasha Adair, who most recently served as head coach for the Arizona State for three years, is joining the Orange as the team’s new associate head coach, the program announced on Thursday.
Adair will be tasked with working alongside Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack and filling the role that once belonged to Kristen Sharkey, who was named head coach for Buffalo in April.
“We are excited to have Natasha Adair join our Orange Family,” Legette-Jack said in a news release. “She has a plethora of experience. She’s a 15-year head coaching veteran with experience from high and mid-major to the Power 4 level. She is a winner, a motivator, a team player and a ferocious recruiter. We are more than thrilled to have her join our Orange Family.”
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According to the program, Adair does have a connection to Syracuse that dates back decades. She was a High School All-American and had offers from the Orange, UConn and Georgetown. After injuring her ACL in high school, Adair ended up playing first Pensacola State College. She then concluded her collegiate career playing two years with South Florida, peaking in 1994 with the Bulls. That season, she averaged 7.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Several years later, her coaching career began. Adair worked as an assistant with Georgetown and Wake Forest. She was then elevated to associate head coach with the Demon Deacons.
Since the 2012-13 season, Adair worked as a head coach for two years at the College of Charleston, peaking with a 19-15 record. She then became Georgetown’s head coach for three years (2015-2017).
Adair’s best success came in a five-year stint with Delaware. In that time, she guided the program to a 95-58 overall record. Her last two seasons there saw Delaware win 24 games each year. Delaware was the Colonial Athletic Association’s regular season champion in 2020-21. That same year, Adair was named CAA Coach of the Year.
The next season, Adair and the program secured a championship win in the CAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament.
She was most recently the head coach for the Sun Devils, never reaching more than 11 wins in her three years there. Adair finished with a 29-62 record at that program.
Adair also previously served in a coaching role with USA Basketball’s U18 Women’s National Team and U19 Women’s World Cup Team Trials Court.
“I’ve known Coach Jack for over 20 years and have always admired her professionalism, passion, and relentless drive. She is a winner, a champion, and a staple in our women’s basketball community,” Adair wrote in a release. “It’s bigger than basketball for her; she’s a teacher of the game, mentor, role model, and a tremendous asset to our sport. To now work alongside her and her staff to contribute to a winning culture where I can add impact and value is an incredible honor. To do so at her alma mater makes it even more special. It’s truly an honor and a privilege. Go Orange!”
Let’s welcome coach Natasha to Orange Nation!