Villanova, Pa. -

Villanova University Director of Athletics Vince Nicastro today announced the hiring of Carissa Adams as the Wildcats head women's rowing coach. Adams replaces Jack St. Clair who retired following the 2014-15 season.

Adams comes to Villanova from the University of California Davis where she was the head women's rowing coach from 2006-2015. Prior to being the head coach, Adams was an assistant at UC Davis for five seasons from 2001-2006.

During her time at UC Davis, Adams had numerous coaching accomplishments, including coaching a student-athlete who was selected for the 2013 U.S. Rowing pre-elite camp, earning ACRA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011 and capturing the Dad Vail Championship Women's Varsity 8 in 2008. In addition to coaching many medal-earning boats at the ACRA championships, Adams coached Division II national championship winning boats in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Adams began her coaching career at Saint Joseph's University where she was the women's novice coach from 1995 to 1997, before becoming the women's novice coach at Villanova from 1997 to 1999. Following her first stint at Villanova, she went to Lewis & Clark College where she was the women's novice coach from 1999 to 2001.

She is a 1995 graduate of Saint Joseph's where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Adams also owns a Master of Science degree in Biology (1997) and a Ph.D. in biology (2000) from Temple University.