Mike Adams enters his second season at the University of South Alabama, and his first working with the program’s nickelbacks.
Last fall, after joining the staff from South Carolina State, he was responsible for working with USA’s inside linebackers. His efforts helped the senior trio of Maleki Harris, Davin Hawkins and Desmond LaVelle set career-high tackle totals as the Jaguars ended the year fourth out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt Conference rankings in both total and scoring defense — in addition to allowing less than 400 yards per outing, the unit was less than a half point from standing second in the league in the latter category. Harris was named second-team all-SBC after posting 95 tackles — a total that included a school game-record 18 in the program’s first-ever postseason bowl appearance at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl — while ranking among the top 10 nationally and leading the conference in both fumbles forced and recovered. Hawkins was fourth on the squad with 65 stops and LaVelle added 49, with the three combining to record 15½ behind the line.
He joined the staff prior to the start of spring practice in 2014 after helping South Carolina State post a winning record in seven of eight seasons, four conference championships and a quartet of NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs berths.
Adams arrived at SCSU in 2006 as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator — he was promoted to defensive coordinator two seasons later — and would help the Bulldogs record a 64-30 (68.1%) overall mark while going 52-12 (81.3%) in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action. SCSU won two outright (2008 and ’09) league championships and shared two others (’10 and ’13) during that span, while he helped 13 individuals earn all-MEAC accolades.
And, his efforts aided eight former Bulldogs in reaching the National Football League: Phillip Adams, Rafael Bush, Dominique Ellis, Jakar Hamilton, Kimario McFadden, Marshall McFadden, Joe Thomas and Christian Thompson.
Adams led a unit during the 2013 campaign that topped the FCS level in total (238 ypg) and pass efficiency (92.35 rating) defense, also ranking second against the run (90.9 ypg) and pass (147.1 ypg) and third in scoring defense (15.2 ppg). The Bulldogs ended a two-year postseason drought, claiming a share of the MEAC crown while finishing 9-4 on the season including a 7-1 record in the conference.
SCSU was first in the country in pass defense, second in total and pass efficiency defense, and fourth against the run and in scoring defense en route to a 9-3 mark and a playoff appearance in 2010. The previous fall — while going 10-2 with an undefeated league record — Adams guided a unit that ranked in the top 10 nationally in four of those categories; the Bulldogs were 11th in pass defense as well that year. SCSU also won 10 contests and was undefeated in MEAC play in 2008 while allowing just 17 points per outing, a figure that was seventh in the nation.
Adams is a 1998 Ball State graduate — earning a degree in sport administration — where he served as a student assistant during the 1997 season. The next three years he was an assistant at St. Joseph’s (Ind.), where after his first season on staff he made the move from working with wide receivers and running backs to guiding Puma defensive backs.
Prior to joining the SCSU staff, Adams served as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at West Georgia.
He is married to the former Natasha Taylor, and the couple have one son, Nataysuan.
The Adams File
Born: Oct. 29, 1974, in Indianapolis, Ind.
Education:
Ball State ’98, bachelor’s degree in sports administration
Coaching Experience:
Ball State — student assistant coach, 1997
St. Joseph (Ind.) — assistant coach, 1998-00
West Georgia — assistant coach, 2001-05
South Carolina State — assistant coach, 2006-13
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2014-
Family: Wife, Natasha; One son, Nataysuan (15)
