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Charles “Chugger” Adair
On December 7, 2010, Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver announced the hiring of Tech’s fourth head women's soccer coach Charles “Chugger” Adair, the associate head coach for the team the previous five seasons. The 2019 season marked Adair's 14th season in Blacksburg and his ninth year as the Hokies' head coach. In that time, he's become the all-time wins leader in program history, ending the 2019 campaign with a 118-53-20 overall record, and became just the second soccer coach at the school to reach the 100-win milestone with the team's victory at Miami on Sept. 23 (Jerry Cheynet, 238 wins, 28 seasons for Tech men's soccer). He's also just the 10th women's soccer head coach to reach that mark in the ACC.
Prior to Adair's arrival on campus, the women's program just once (2004) made the postseason - playing a game in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Since, the team has qualified for six ACC tournaments, playing for the conference title twice (2008 & 2013), and earned eight straight bids to the NCAA championship (2008-15) and 10 overall, as the Hokies made back-to-back trips in 2018 and 2019. Tech has reached the Sweet 16 four times under Adair (2009, 2011, 2014, 2018), but enjoyed its greatest success in 2013. That record-setting season included the Hokies posting a school-record 19 wins (most by any soccer team at the school), playing for the ACC title and advancing to the NCAA College Cup, where their season ended with a 3-2 loss to Florida State in a national semifinal game.
Under Adair, Tech has seen its only two draft choices selected in the NWSL draft. Jazmine Reeves was the 21st overall pick by the Boston Breakers in 2014, while Mandy McGlynn was chosen one spot higher with the No. 20 pick by Sky Blue FC in 2020. Tech has also had its only three All-Americans under Adair's tutelage - Reeves (1st, 2013), Murielle Tiernan (3rd, 2015) and McGlynn (2nd, 2019) - and two of its three Academic All-Americans - Katie Yensen (3rd, 2014) and McGlynn (1st, 2019).
Along with the great strides the Hokies have made on the pitch, the Tech women’s soccer program is also known for producing outstanding students who are major contributors off of it. Each year, the Hokies boast a high team grade point average and have student-athletes who compete for state, regional and national academic recognition. In fact, during the 2017-18 academic season, the team posted a program-tying best ever team GPA of 3.53 in the spring semester. In addition, both Ashley Meier (2015) and Alani Johnson (2017) have received an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, with Meier also earning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship as well. Lastly, in 2018, Heather Timothy became Tech's sixth women's soccer player to earn the Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics - the highest designation handed out by the Tech athletics department.
In his nine seasons at Tech, Adair has led his program to a winning record each year, but saw a streak of double-digit win totals come to an end in 2017 as the team posted a 7-6-5 mark, with the five ties setting a program record. Despite an 11-win season in 2016 - the team's ninth straight year with at least 10 wins - the Hokies saw their eight-year run of making the NCAA championship come to an end.
In 2018, Tech returned to the 11-win mark and the NCAA tournament and reached the Round of 16. Along the way, the Hokies were one of two teams to knock off a nationally-seeded team in the opening round - defeating No. 17 Texas (a four seed) 1-0 in Austin, Texas - the Longhorns lone home loss of the year. Another 1-0 victory, this one in double overtime, in round two over Arkansas advanced Tech to its fourth ever Sweet 16. The Hokies ended the year ranked in two major polls - 21st by the United Soccer Coaches and 23rd by Top Drawer Soccer. He was also on the sidelines as the Hokies played the program's 500th career match (August 19 versus Georgetown) and recorded its 250th career victory (Sept. 23 at Villanova).
The team followed that performance up racing out to a 9-0 start to the 2019 campaign, which was tied for the second-longest all-time streak to start a season at the school. However, injuries plagued the Hokies as they entered ACC play, but still posted a 4-4-2 mark, its fifth .500 or better record in league play under Adair. The team did not make the ACC tournament, but won 12 matches and hosted an NCAA first round match, both were firsts since 2015.
In 2015, the Hokies went 15-4-2 and won their opening round game in the NCAA Championship, while in the 2014 season, Adair led the Hokies to a 16-6 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in school history. During that season, the Hokies set a school record for most goals in a season, with 62, and fewest goals allowed in a season, surrendering just 18, and reached a program-best No. 2 ranking in the country after starting the season at 10-0-0.
In their record-setting 2013 campaign, the Hokies beat three ranked teams during the regular season and then blew out then-No. 1 Virginia 4-2 in the ACC Tournament semifinals. They added two more ranked foes to their list of conquests when they downed West Virginia 1-0 and knocked off Santa Clara by advancing on penalty kicks in the NCAA Championships. The Hokies were a No. 1 seed in the tournament and hosted four games in Blacksburg. The Hokies scored a then school-record 56 goals, breaking the mark of 45 set by the 2012 team, and shut out 12 opponents, tying the mark also set by the 2012 squad. They finished the season with a school-best No. 4 ranking in the country.
In 2012, Adair, in his second season as the head coach, led the Hokies to a 13-6-1 record, which marked the program’s fifth straight 10-win season. Tech’s six losses were the fewest in program history, at the time, and 12 of the 13 wins were shutouts. The team started 9-0-0, climbing into the Top 10 in the national rankings for the first time in school history, reaching the No. 8 spot in late September. The Hokies played host to their first NCAA Championship game in Blacksburg, as they welcomed No. 14 Georgetown to Thompson Field, though it resulted in a 3-2 loss in overtime.
In Adair’s first season as the head coach (2011), Tech matched its best finish in program history (at the time), making it all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Championship. Adair led the Hokies to a 14-8-1 overall record, which included 11 shutouts.
Adair came to Tech in 2006 and served as the associate head coach under previous head coach Kelly Cagle for five seasons before being promoted. In Adair’s first season as an assistant to Cagle, the Hokies suffered a losing season, but have not suffered a losing season since. In 2008, the Hokies advanced to the finals of the ACC Championship for the first time, falling to North Carolina 3-0, and in 2009, the Hokies won 16 games, then a school record, and earned a final ranking of No. 12.
Adair came to Tech after holding the associate head coaching position at UC Santa Barbara for two seasons. While at UCSB, his role involved all aspects of the soccer program, including recruiting, coaching, scouting, player management, community relations and camps. Prior to his arrival at UCSB, he worked a six-year stint as Youth Soccer Coach/ Assistant Director of Competitive Older Ages for the Del Mar Sharks.
He served as an assistant for the University of San Diego’s men’s soccer team from 1998-2000. He moved from there and spent a season as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Pacific University in Portland, Ore.
Adair also possesses a great deal of playing experience, having played professionally for 10 years, including stints with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer and the U.S. National Futsal Team. He also spent time playing for the San Diego Sockers, Wichita Wings, Portland Timbers, San Diego Flash, Minnesota Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Milwaukee Wave, Carolina Dynamo and A.A. Ghent (Belgium) from 1993-2003.
Adair played soccer at the University of San Diego after transferring from San Diego State in the early 1990s. He earned All-America honors, was a two-year captain and helped USD to the NCAA finals, where the Toreros lost to Virginia. He scored 27 goals and had 23 assists in his three years at USD. He got his bachelor’s degree in business administration from USD in 1993 and he received his MBA from USD in 1996.
Adair is married to the former Shelbylynn McBride, and they have a daughter, Callie Lynn and a son, Austin Tate. He also has two other daughters Alexandra and Madeline, and a son Jack.
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