FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2016
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Saint Anselm College Director of Athletics Daron Montgomery announced Tuesday the hiring of former Syracuse University assistant coach Joe Adam as the next head football coach for the Hawks.
Adam brings more than 20 years of coaching experience with success at all levels of NCAA football, having been a part of two NCAA Division II National Championships, taken teams to bowl games and helped a program reach the NCAA playoffs for the first time in the school's history.
"Joe brings a wealth of college coaching experience—having spent time at all levels—Division I, II and III," said Director of Athletics Daron Montgomery. "He has worn many hats as a coordinator, position coach and head coach, something we believe has prepared him well for this opportunity.
"Our search committee was thorough and diligent, and vetted several highly talented candidates. In the end, it became clear that Joe was the best fit at this key moment in time for Saint Anselm football. Joe will connect with recruits and alumni, and he will energize key stakeholders as we build a Hawks Football brand that everyone can rally around and be proud of."
Adam most recently served as the offensive line coach at Syracuse for two seasons. He helped coach an offense that ranked in the top 10 of the program's past 50 seasons. His offensive line unit finished the season ranked in the top third of DI FBS teams in fewest sacks allowed. He also coached All-ACC selection and NFL free-agent signee (New Orleans Saints) Sean Hickey.
Prior to Syracuse, Adam spent eight seasons at Elmhurst College in Illinois, serving as the head coach for the 2013 season.
With Adam as the team's defensive coordinator in 2012, the Bluejays earned their first conference championship in 22 years, qualifying for the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in program history.
Adam spent time at Western Michigan University and Grand Valley State, winning two national titles with the Lakers including one in 2003 with then head coach Brian Kelly, now head coach at the University of Notre Dame.
"I would first like to thank God for providing this opportunity, I am truly blessed," said Adam. "I would also like to thank President [Steven] DiSalvo, the search committee and Athletic Director Daron Montgomery for entrusting me to take over the Saint Anselm football program. I look forward to the challenge of building a program with student-athletes who have a relentless passion for academics and football.
"Becoming a head coach again was something I was looking for and this was the perfect program to take over. On a daily basis, we will instill our three pillars of success: Attitude, Effort and Enthusiasm. That is what every current and future Hawks football player will live by daily. I expect to build a winning football program that has sustainability for years to come. What drew me here were the people of Saint Anselm. The tight knit community and passion is evident here on campus.
"My goal is to build a football team that is very hard to play against. We will be aggressive on offense, defense and special teams. We will pride ourselves on the work and be relentless in that pursuit of our WAY of football. Being a Saint Anselm football player will truly be a way of life, different and uncommon from everyone else. I look forward to rolling up our sleeves and starting that immediately. Day by day, we look forward to Saint Anselm being one of the top Catholic destinations in the country for those who embrace the core values of our college and our football team."
Adam becomes the fourth head coach in the modern era of Saint Anselm football, after the program was reinstated in 1999 following a 58-year absence.
Adam received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Grand Valley State. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Joe and Jessica.
Information for this release provided by the Saint Anselm Athletic Communications staff.
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
