Wake assistant new Cougars' women's coach

Natasha Adair, an associate head coach at Wake Forest, will be introduced Tuesday as the new College of Charleston women's basketball coach.

Adair, 39, replaces Nancy Wilson, who retired this season. Wilson spent 17 of her 30 years coaching at the College of Charleston, amassing a 542-365 record. She was 311-215 at the College of Charleston.

"The College of Charleston is very excited to have Natasha Adair as our next women's basketball head coach," College of Charleston athletic director Joe Hull said Saturday.

"Natasha has spent the last eight years at Wake Forest, competing at the highest level in the Atlantic Coast Conference. On a night-in and night-out basis, she has competed against the very finest basketball programs and players in the country."

Adair has been the associate head coach for five of her eight years at Wake Forest where she also was the recruiting coordinator. Wake Forest finished 20-12 this season and competed in the Women's NIT. Before coming to Wake, she spent six seasons as an assistant at Georgetown. Adair told the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal her contract at the College of Charleston is a five-year deal.

Adair is a native of Washington, D.C., played two years at Pensacola Junior College and graduated from South Florida in 1994 with a degree in communications.

"This is a dream come true," Adair told the Winston-Salem Journal. "To get a chance to be a head coach for the first time is really exciting and I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life.

"Nancy was a pioneer in coaching and she really fought for a lot when women's basketball was not getting exposure and was trying to find its niche," Adair added. "So to come to College of Charleston and follow her is just an honor."

Adair and her husband, Aaron, have two children, Aaron Michael, 14, and Allyssa Michelle, 6.

Her formal introduction to the College of Charleston will come at 3 p.m. Tuesday at TD Arena.