Georgia Tech has announced the appointment of Karen Blair as the new head coach of their women’s basketball team, following the retirement of Nell Fortner last week. Blair previously served as an assistant coach at Maryland for seven years, with the last five years as associate head coach. During this time, the Terrapins secured three Big Ten titles, highlighting Blair’s successful tenure.
Expressing her enthusiasm, Blair stated, “I’m thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to be the women’s basketball head coach at Georgia Tech. The institution is unique both on and off the court. Georgia Tech has a storied history of women’s basketball achievements, largely attributed to Coach Nell Fortner’s leadership. My aim is to build upon this foundation and guide the program to even greater success.”
Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt conveyed his confidence in Blair’s capabilities by highlighting Maryland’s accomplishments during her tenure, remarking, “We sought a coach with a proven track record of excellence, both in games and in recruiting — Coach Blair certainly meets these criteria.”
The Maryland team reached significant milestones with Blair’s involvement, including winning at least one game in five out of six NCAA Tournament appearances over the past seven years. Notably, the team progressed to the Sweet 16 in 2021, 2022, and 2025, and made it to the Elite Eight in 2023. Additionally, they finished with a No. 4 national ranking in 2020, though the NCAA Tournament was canceled that year due to the pandemic.
Prior to her stint at Maryland, Blair was an assistant at several colleges, including North Texas, Texas-Arlington, Colgate, and SMU, her alma mater. During her time at SMU from 1999 to 2009, the Mustangs clinched two Conference USA regular-season titles and featured in two NCAA Tournaments.