Natasha Adair

Hometown: Washington, D.C. Position: Associate Head Coach Experience: 8th Season

Alma Mater: South Florida, 1994

Adair's main responsibilities on the court include the development of the post players as well defensive strategies. Off the court, she assists with the team's marketing and community relations as well as sharing the excitement about the program in her pregame radio show.

Adair is known as one of the best in the business not only when it comes to recruiting, but she has shown the ability to develop and mentor some of the top post players in the country.

Upon her arrival to Winston-Salem in 2004, the Deacons snapped a string of 11-straight losing seasons and advanced to postseason play for the first time in 16 years. That year's team went 17-15 and was the first of four postseason teams under Adair's guidance.

As the recruiting coordinator for the Deacons, Adair successfully recruited a number of top-rated players in the country. One of Adair's top recruits, Camille Collier, who started at Wake Forest as the nation's 27th best point guard, is a two-time ACC All-Academic Team and ACC Honor Roll selection. In 2008-09, Collier fully adjusted to her new wing position and is currently eighth in school history with a total of 115 three-pointers in her career.

Adair has also helped the Deacs land a number of All-ACC players in her eight-plus seasons. Players like Liz Strunk, Deidre Naughton, Yolanda Lavender, Makia Valentine, Coteila Bond-Young, Alex Tchangoue, Corinne Groves, Brittany Waters and Sandra Garcia.

Strunk was one of the program's top scorers, averaging over 14 points per game in her final three seasons and is currently sixth in school history with 1,352 career points. Bond-Young is just ahead of her in fifth-place with 1,507 career points, including 486 as a junior, which is the sixth-best total in school-history.

"As an under-sized power-forward, coach Adair worked directly with me on my footwork and my post moves, utilizing my speed and quickness against bigger players," Strunk said. "Her consistent energy during practice and enthusiasm for the game were contagious. Every time I entered the gym, Coach A greeted me with a smile. I truly enjoyed playing under her and respected her basketball knowledge."

Tchangoue and Groves each reached the 1,000-point plateau during the 2008-09 season and they are two of just seven players in school-history with over 1,000 career points and 600 career rebounds. Waters tied the school-record her senior season with 40 points in a win at Clemson and finished her career with 1,267 points.

"Coach Adair is a great coach who is all about business," said Groves. "She knew where she wanted the post players to be, and pushed us to reach our full potential. I always had the drive, but coach Adair pushed me to become the player I truly could be. I wanted to be better for her and wanted to make her proud."

Under Adair's tutelage, Valentine and Garcia were each named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. Garcia averaged nearly 10 points and eight rebounds as a freshman while Valentine grabbed five rebounds and had 50 blocked shots.

Adair came to Wake Forest after six seasons as an assistant coach at Georgetown. Similar to her position with the Demon Deacons, Adair was primarily responsible for the Georgetown post players. She was instrumental in the development of Georgetown All-American Rebekkah Brunson, who was selected with the 10th overall pick in the WNBA draft by the Sacramento Monarchs. Brunson is in her eighth season in the WNBA and has won a WNBA Championship and started the 2011 WNBA All-Star game.

Brunson averaged a double-double for her entire four-year career and led the team in points and rebounds during that span. She was also named the 2003-04 Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Adair also coached and mentored several players who graduated from the Georgetown program and went on to continue their professional careers overseas. They include Santia Jackson, Zsu Horvath, Melba Chamber, Suzy Bendegue and Sylita Thomas.

"Coach Adair was hired after my sophomore year at Georgetown and we instantly hit it off," said Chambers. "She has a great personality and keen ability to relate to players not only as athletes but as young women as well. I thrived more so in my final two years at GU and I know it was because of coach Adair. Her mentoring and tough love approach pushed me to perform better as an athlete and as a student."

Along with her on-court duties for the Hoyas, Adair oversaw the academic enrichment program for student-athletes and was also involved with the recruiting efforts and conditioning program.

In Adair's 13 years as a Division I college coach, she has developed and coached 12 players who have gone on to play at the professional level.

Adair, a native of Washington D.C., started her collegiate playing career at Pensacola Junior College where she played for Hall of Fame coach Vicki Carson. She was a team captain and led the team to a State title in 1990-91. Adair was named to the All-Pan Handle Team in both 1991 and 1992 and was the league's top rebounder each season.

Adair then completed her college career at the University of South Florida. She chose USF over offers from Georgetown, Connecticut and Syracuse. Adair made an immediate impact with the Bulls, leading the team in rebounding each season and was named a team captain during her senior year. Her name is still among the ranks as one of the top-rebounders in school-history. She led the team in rebounding with 12.5 rebounds per game in 1993-94. She also led the team that year in double-doubles and finished third in the Metro Conference in rebounding.

While at USF, Adair played for another Hall of Fame coach in Trudi Lacey. Lacey was a standout at NC State and is currently the head coach of the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Adair was also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and still serves as one of the organization's community representatives, speaking to Boy's and Girl's Clubs and also leading a Feed the Homeless Campaign. She earned her communications degree from USF in 1994.

Adair was a top high school recruit coming out of Albert Einstein High School. She was a USA Today Preseason All-American in 1989-90 and went on to lead the Metro Conference that year in scoring and rebounding. Adair played for Hall of Fame coach Patti Langworthy.

For her contributions at Albert Einstein, Adair was inducted into the 2011 Hall of Fame class. She averaged over 20 points and a remarkable 16 rebounds per game as a senior on the basketball court. Adair also shined on the track, setting school records in the 4x100, 4x200 and mile relays. As a result, her team was invited to compete in the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

One common theme in Adair's playing career was that every coach she played for has been named to a Hall of Fame. With Adair's track record of molding and mentoring young athletes, she is well on her way to following in her coach's footsteps.

Adair and her husband, Aaron, have a 14-year-old son, Aaron Michael, and a six-year-old daughter, Allyssa Michelle.