Athens Bulldogs Football: Head coach Ryan Adams calls it a career after 10 seasons
By: Thomas Garverick
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ATHENS, Oh – After 10 years of leading the Athens Bulldogs every Friday night, head coach Ryan Adams has taken off the headset for the last time.
Adams announced during the team’s end-of-the-year banquet that he would not return for his 11th season as head coach and retire. While there was no exact reason for Adams’ retirement, the general assumption was that Adams felt the time was right to relinquish his duties with his son Evan, a running back on the team, a senior set to graduate after this year.
Adams leaves as won one of the most decorative coaches in program history. Adams went 96-36 (.727) including 51-10 (.836) in TVC-Ohio play. Adams won the conference title in six of the 10 years that included trips to the postseason in five seasons. During those five playoff runs, Adams went 8-5 with three regional final appearances, highlighted with a trip to the Division III state title game led by now LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
Adams was a mentor to many former Bulldog players and beloved by his current players. He inspired many of his players to want to be a part of the program.
“He’s a great guy and great coach,” senior quarterback Clay Davis said. “He’s actually the one who told me I should play football.”
His impact extended off the football field – he was a man that everyone on the team had a great deal of respect for.
“He taught a lot beyond the football field,” senior wide receiver and cornerback Logan Maxfield said. “He gave us so many life skills to use later on in life.”
Adams was never a “Me” sort of a guy — he was always about doing what was best for his players and so they have nothing to say but thank you.
“He was your prototypical players coach who would do anything for one of his players — past or present,” Davis said. “I think everyone on our team, especially the seniors have a great deal of respect and thanks for work he put in.”
The best part of putting all of that hard work, was having all the success that came because of it. That’s why the players know the program has a special place in his heart.
“We saw all of the hard work he put in throughout the four years and we saw what the Bulldog football program meant to him,” Davis said.
Adams walks away knowing the program he built, is in good hands – to whose hands though has yet to be determined. But when the team announces who will be the next football coach to guide this team, they’ll have to continue what Adams started.