Junior Adams enters his second season on The Hill as WKU's offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach after a three-year stint at Boise State as the Broncos' passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
In his first year on The Hill, Adams began the development and maturation process of a receiving corps that lost two of the program's all-time greatest receivers in Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris who combined for over 7,000 receiving yards in their careers. With just two receivers returning who tallied at least 25 receptions the previous season in Nacarius Fant (29) and Lucky Jackson (26), Adams set out to produce the next great crop of WKU pass catchers.
Under Adams' direction, Fant and tight end Deon Yelder enjoyed breakout senior seasons as both etched their names into the record books in their final year donning the red and white. Fant's 74 receptions in 2017 were a career-best and No. 5 on the school's all-time chart, surpassed only by the two legends he followed and standout receiver Jared Dangerfield. Against Middle Tennessee, Fant's 14 receptions were the second-most in a single game in program history and the most by a receiver in the FBS era.
Yelder, an afterthought and walk-on entering 2017 in the offensive game plan, emerged as one of the nation's most talented tight ends and set WKU records for receiving yards (688) and points (52) in a season by a tight end. Following the season, Yelder was invited to the NFLPA and Senior Bowls to showcase his ability.
Adams also utilized the accuracy of quarterback Mike White to record-setting precision. The senior signal caller set WKU records for passing attempts without an interception (161) and consecutive completions in a game (14) with Adams coordinating the offense and followed his senior campaign with invites to the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine.
In developing the next group of WKU stars at receiver, sophomore Lucky Jackson tallied the third-most receiving yards by a sophomore in program history (600) while freshman Xavier Lane's 27 receptions were the fifth-most by a freshman in program history. Those marks, coupled with true freshman Jaquez Sloan's 15.2 yard per catch average - third on the team behind only senior Kylen Towner and Jackson - give WKU a dangerous blend of speed and experience moving into 2018.
At Boise State, Adams served as the Broncos' passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2016 and coached wide receivers on the blue turf since 2014. Under his direction, Boise State's wide receivers flourished and set records on a seemingly annual basis.
In 2016, Boise State posted the first pair of 1,000-yard receivers in school history in Thomas Sperbeck and Cedrick Wilson. Boise State joined the Hilltoppers in 2016 as one of only four schools in the nation with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers. Sperbeck finished his career at BSU as a two-time first-team All-Mountain West Conference honoree and the school's career leader in receiving yardage with 3,601 while his 2015 marks of 88 catches for 1,412 yards either set or tied the school's single-season record. Sperbeck's 224 career receptions also ranked fourth in program history while his 1,272 yards this past season trailed only his 2015 record in the books. He was also the first Boise State receiver to post two 80-catch seasons.
Boise State's passing game finished No. 15 nationally in 2016, averaging 298.3 yards per game while ranking No. 9 in passer rating at 161.38 and No. 7 in yards per attempt (9.6). Adams also helped to develop Wilson into one of the nation's top big play threats as his 20.2 yard per catch average ranked No. 8 nationally.
Adams' evolution as an offensive mind draws from not only the Boise State tree, but also from his five seasons as wide receivers coach at Eastern Washington under noted offensive mind Beau Baldwin. Regularly mentioned as one of the top passing teams in college football, the Eagles went to the FCS playoffs in four of the five seasons Adams was on staff and won the 2010 FCS National Championship with consecutive appearances in the semifinals each of his final two seasons (2012-13). In each of Adams' five seasons with the Eagles, the team finished in the top-10 nationally in passing offense four of five times including a No. 1 overall finish in 2011 with a staggering 368.4 passing yards per game.
In 2013, the Eagles ranked fourth-nationally in the FCS in passing offense (349.8) and had two receivers ranked in the top-10 nationally in receiving yardage. Then-freshman Cooper Kupp led the nation in receiving yards with 1,691, the fourth-most in FCS history, while senior Ashton Clark ranked sixth with 1,233 yards. Kupp went on to become just the second freshman wide receiver since 1990 to earn first team FCS All-America honors (Randy Moss, 1996), and was also the recipient of the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the top freshman in the FCS. Kupp's 14-consecutive games with a receiving touchdown also broke the FCS record.
Kupp went on to enjoy a breakout year in 2015 as he won the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in the FCS, and was named the national offensive player of the year by both STATS LLC and FCS ADA. He set FCS career records for receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions.
A former All-American wide receiver himself, Adams developed three other 1,000-yard receivers while at EWU including Brandon Kaufman who, in 2010, broke the FCS receiving yardage record with 1,850 yards. In 2012, as Kaufman was set to graduate, two of his fellow senior receivers had also recorded 1,000-yard seasons in their careers under Adams' direction including Nicholas Edwards and Greg Herd in 2011.
The 2004 graduate of Montana State with a degree in sociology, Adams has also received multiple grants as a part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship which has given him the opportunity to work at summer training camps with NFL teams including the Oakland Raiders (2010), Indianapolis Colts (2011) and Minnesota Vikings (2012).
A native of Fremont, Calif., Adams got his start in collegiate coaching at Montana State where he coached receivers and kick returners from 2004-06. In 2007, he coached the same positions at Prosser High where he worked with Tom Moore, father of former Boise State and current NFL quarterback Kellen Moore. The Mustangs went 14-0 that season and won the WIAA 2A State Championship. Adams also spent one season at Chattanooga (2008) before returning to the Northwest and beginning his path at EWU.
THE ADAMS FILE
PERSONAL
Born: Oct. 20, 1979
Hometown: Fremont, Calif.
College: Montana State, `04
PLAYING CAREER (Wide Receiver)
College: Oregon State (1999-00); Montana State (2001-02)
COACHING CAREER
2004-06: Montana State (Wide Receivers/Kick Returners)
2007: Prosser HS (Wash.) (Wide Receivers/Kick Returners)
2008: Chattanooga (Assistant)
2009-13: Eastern Washington (Wide Receivers)
2014-15: Boise State (Wide Receivers)
2016: Boise State (Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2017: WKU (Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
BOWL EXPERIENCE
2000: Fiesta (Oregon State, Player)
2014: Fiesta (Boise State, Coach)
2015: Poinsettia (Boise State, Coach)
2016: Cactus (Boise State, Coach)
2017: Cure (WKU, Coach)
BILL WALSH MINORITY COACHING FELLOWSHIPS
2010: Oakland Raiders
2011: Indianapolis Colts
2012: Minnesota Vikings
