Clarke University Athletic Director Curt Long announced today that former Crusader assistant Don Adams has been named the university's new head women's basketball coach.

Adams, an assistant women's basketball coach at Clarke during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, comes to Clarke from Beloit College, where he has served as the head women's basketball coach the past five seasons. He replaces Zareth Gray, who resigned last month to accept a similar position at Lourdes College.

"I'm excited to welcome Don back to Clarke University," Long said. "He's worked in quality programs and  has had success building a program at his previous institution.I expect tha tDon will have an immediate positive impact on our team."

A native of Cassville, Wis., Adams moved into second place on Beloit's all-time wins chart last winter. He compiled a 55-61 overall record and led the Buccaneers to back-to-back Midwest Conference Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009, netting the program's first conference tournament berths since 1998.

Adams' 2008-09 squad finished 15-9 overall and went 12-4 in league play, recording the program's most wins since 1997-98. His 2007-08 team posted a 14-10 mark and gave Beloit its first conference tournament berth in 11 years.

Off the court, Adams' 2007-08 team ranked sixth in the nation academically with a team GPA of 3.472.

"I am very excited to have a chance to come back to the place where I started my college coaching career and I hope Clarke University is where it ends," said Adams. "I want to thank Clarke for giving me this opportunity."

Prior to his stint at Beloit, Adams was an assistant basketball coach at NCAA Division I University of Maine at Orono from 2003 to 2005. The Black Bears compiled a 45-17 record during those two seasons, won two America East Conference regular-season champions and competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and the National Invitational Tournament in 2005.

Adams served as an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin during the 2002-03. He was an assistant boys' basketball coach at Cassville High School from 1999 to 2002. The Comets went 46-6 in those three seasons and claimed the 2000 state championship.

During Adams' last year at Clarke, the Crusaders went 15-10 overall and placed second in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

Adams received his associate degree in hospitality management from Madison Area Technical College and his bachelor of science degree in business administration from La Crosse University.