Charles Adair (soccer)

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Chugger Adair
Adair in 2023
Personal information
Full name Charles Russell Adair, Jr.
Date of birth (1971-08-11) August 11, 1971 (age 52)
Place of birth Chula Vista, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Position(s) Forward
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989 San Diego State Aztecs
1990–1992 San Diego Toreros
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 6 (10)
1994 Wichita Wings (indoor) 14 (14)
1995 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 18 (11)
1996 Carolina Dynamo 21 (14)
1997 Milwaukee Wave (indoor) 9 (5)
1997 Seattle Sounders 19 (8)
1999–2000 San Diego Flash 28 (8)
2000 Minnesota Thunder 5 (0)
2001 San Diego FC 22 (10)
2002 Portland Timbers 20 (2)
Total 162 (82)
Managerial career
1998–2000 San Diego Toreros (assistant)
2002 Pacific Boxers (assistant)
2003 San Diego Spirit (assistant)
2004–2006 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (assistant)
2006–2009 Virginia Tech Hokies (associate head coach)
2011– Virginia Tech Hokies
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Charles "Chugger" Adair (born August 11, 1971) is a retired American soccer player and current soccer coach. He spent two seasons in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, two in the National Professional Soccer League and seven in the USISL A-League / USL First Division.

Early life and education[edit]

Adair grew up in Chula Vista where he played soccer as a youth. When he was five, he underwent open heart surgery.[1] Adair attended Hilltop High School.[2] He was inducted into the Hilltop Hall of Fame in 2001.[3] In 1989, he entered San Diego State University where he played one seasons with the men's soccer team. He then transferred to the University of San Diego and played with the Toreros for three seasons. In 1992, Adair's senior season, San Diego went to the NCAA championship where they fell to the Virginia Cavaliers. During his three seasons with USD, Adair scored 27 goals and added 23 assists in 57 games.

Playing career[edit]

On April 7, 1993, the San Diego Sockers selected Adair in the first round of the 1993 Continental Indoor Soccer League Draft.[4] After scoring ten goals in six games, Adair left he Sockers for a trial with Belgium club Ghent the first week of July.[5] He spent most of his time in Belgium with Ghent's reserve team, but played one exhibition game, scoring a goal, with the first team. When Ghent did not offer him a contract, Adair returned to the Sockers in time for the playoffs.[6] The Sockers went on to win the CISL championship. After going on a post-season tour of Switzerland with the Sockers, Adair signed with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League in January 1994.[7] He scored fourteen goals in fourteen games then tore his anterior cruciate ligament in March, putting him out for nearly a year.[8][9] In June 1995, Adair returned to playing with the Sockers.[10] In March 1996, the Los Angeles Galaxy selected Adair in the third round (26th overall) of the 1996 MLS Supplemental Draft. The Galaxy waived him on March 25, 1996.[11] He then signed with the Carolina Dynamo of the USISL a month later.[12][13] On February 26, 1997, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave of the NPSL.[14][15] In April, he moved to the Seattle Sounders of the USISL A-League.[16] He had reconstructive knee surgery and lost the 1998 season. In 1999, he played for the San Diego Flash.[17] He returned for the 2000 season, but recurring knee problems limited him to 91 minutes in five games. The Flash released him in August and he immediately signed with the Minnesota Thunder.[18] In 2001, he was back in San Diego, this time with San Diego FC.[19] In March 2002, he signed with the Portland Timbers.[20]

Coaching career[edit]

Prior to retiring Adair began coaching. In 1996, he coached the Bonita Vista High School boys team. He was assistant coach with the University of San Diego men's team, his alma mater, from 1998 to 2000. He was then the assistant coach of both the men's and women's teams at Pacific University. In 2003, he was assistant coach of the San Diego Spirit women's professional team. Adair was associate head coach of the UC Santa Barbara women's team for two seasons. Adair was the assistant for the women's team at Virginia Tech. In 2011 he was promoted to head coach of the team.

Lawsuit over National Anthem Benching[edit]

In March 2021, Adair was sued by a former player, Kiersten Hening, for allegedly benching her, subjecting her to repeated verbal abuse, and forcing her off the team because she refused to kneel in support of the Black Lives Matter organization.[21] The trial court denied Adair's motion for summary judgment on December 2, 2022,[22] allowing the case to proceed to trial. In January 2023, Adair agreed to pay over $100,000 to settle the lawsuit.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Still Kicking Chugger Adair , now with San Diego F.C., has seen career take some twists and turns San Diego Union-Tribune - May 9, 2001.
  2. ^ Hilltop boys soccer team wins Metro championship Evening Tribune (San Diego, CA) - February 15, 1989.
  3. ^ Hilltop to induct Hall of Famers San Diego Union-Tribune - January 18, 2001.
  4. ^ Socks' Draftees – The Sockers' selections in the CISL Collegiate / Amateur Draft. San Diego Union-Tribune - April 8, 1993.
  5. ^ Knights Show Improvement - They Limit Sockers to Just Eight Goals. Sacramento Bee - July 10, 1993.
  6. ^ Newman bringing back Adair as a siege-breaker San Diego Union-Tribune - September 8, 1993.
  7. ^ Wings Sign Local Product to a Development Contract. Wichita Eagle - January 16, 1994.
  8. ^ Injury Sidelines Wings' Adair. Wichita Eagle - March 9, 1994.
  9. ^ National Professional Soccer League Final Official Report - 1993-1994 Archived 2008-10-29 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ Adair back with bang as Sockers rally to win San Diego Union-Tribune - June 4, 1995.
  11. ^ Late cuts in MLS lop off kickers from area San Diego Union-Tribune - March 26, 1996.
  12. ^ Dynamo Blasts Flyers to End Losing Streak Greensboro News & Record - April 28, 1996.
  13. ^ "Carolina Dynamo All Time Roster". Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
  14. ^ Wave makes roster moves Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - February 26, 1997.
  15. ^ National Professional Soccer League Final Official Statistics - 1996-1997
  16. ^ Sounders Sign Two Forwards. Seattle Post-Intelligencer - April 17, 1997.
  17. ^ New faces put a spark in Flash's A-League attack San Diego Union-Tribune April 11, 1999.
  18. ^ Adair released, takes career to Minnesota San Diego Union-Tribune - August 1, 2000.
  19. ^ Rampage tumbles in season opener Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) - April 20, 2001.
  20. ^ Soccer Notebook – Timbers' New Forward Adds Size, Experience to Lineup. Oregonian (Portland, OR) - March 4, 2002.
  21. ^ Davis, Marc (19 April 2021). "Former James River soccer star suing Virginia Tech head coach". NBC12. Retrieved 24 April 2021. The suit states that Hening supports social justice and believes that Black lives matter, but she does not support the BLM organization.
  22. ^ Court document courtlistener.com
  23. ^ Marnin, Julia (4 January 2023). "Soccer player refusing to kneel before game was forced off Virginia Tech team, suit says". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 4 January 2023.

External links[edit]

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