Phillips Andover Academy, a prestigious Massachusetts boarding school with notable alumni like Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, has hired Ernie Adams as its interim head football coach for a struggling team.
Longtime NFL Insider Steps In
Adams, a 72-year-old former NFL assistant coach and executive, brings Super Bowl-winning experience to the sideline. He attended Phillips Andover in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where he first connected with Bill Belichick. Adams discovered a book on football scouting by Belichick’s father, Steve, and later befriended Bill during his post-graduate year at the school in 1970. The two have remained close friends ever since.
“This is definitely an interim appointment,” Adams stated. “The school plans a comprehensive search for a younger, full-time coach after the season, so I’m here for this year.”
Belichick, now head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, has offered his congratulations. “Of course he’s an alumnus too, so I know he wishes us well, just like I cheer for North Carolina,” Adams noted.
Support from Sports Figures
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, a Massachusetts native and avid New England Patriots supporter, voiced enthusiasm on X. “Can I bet my net worth on Phillips Andover to win the NEPSAC next year,” he wrote. “Old Pink Stripes is gonna have the boys flying…” The “pink stripes” reference nods to an inside joke from the Patriots’ practice facility.
Adams replaces Trey Brown, who recorded a 2-7 mark in NEPSAC Class A last fall, including a 48-16 loss to rival Phillips Exeter.
Proven Football Mind
Best known as Belichick’s lead researcher with the Patriots from 2000 to 2021, Adams contributed to six Super Bowl victories. Players often joked about his mysterious role, and author David Halberstam dubbed him “Belichick’s Belichick.”
Their careers intertwined early: Both entered the NFL in 1975, with Belichick assisting the Baltimore Colts and Adams serving as an administrative assistant for the Patriots. Adams later joined Belichick at the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in 1991. Browns owner Art Modell once quipped, “I’ll pay anyone here $10,000 if they can tell me what Ernie Adams does.”
After leaving football in 2021, Adams returns to coaching. “Listen, it’s great,” he said. “I’ve been working there the last couple years, so I know all the players. Standing in front of them Monday afternoon when I was introduced, these are a great bunch of kids and it was a lot of fun.”
On strategy, Adams added, “Hopefully the offense we run is one that moves the ball and scores points.”
School’s Storied Legacy
Founded in 1778, Phillips Andover boasts a rich history, producing figures like John F. Kennedy Jr., actors Jack Lemmon and Olivia Wilde, and athletes including long snapper Zak DeOssie.
Athletic director Lisa Joel praised the hire: “The Phillips Andover experience was formative for him. He’s all in. He loves the school, he loves the game of football, and he understands what it means to be an Andover student. He’s a team guy. And he’s incredibly humble and understated.”
The Big Blue have not been a football powerhouse recently, with their last winning season in 2017 and a perfect 9-0 mark in 2013.
