Football
Adams, James
James Adams
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Safeties
- Email:
- adamsja@wfu.edu
- Phone:
- 336-758-5780
James Adams, who was hired in Feb. 2022 and is a Wake Forest alum, is set to enter his third season on the Wake Forest football staff in 2024 as was promoted recently to Associate Head Coach / Safeties. Since his arrival, Adams has led an elite safeties unit that was instrumental in helping the Wake Forest defense take big steps forward each of the past two years.
Through the 2023 regular season, the Demon Deacons were one of the best defenses in the country, receiving an overall grade of 84.8 from PFF which ranked 45th nationally. Additionally, PFF had the Deacs ranked in the top-50 in run defense (82.4). Also, Wake Forest was one of the best teams in the country in redzone defense last year as the Deacs tied for 22nd nationally with just 76.9 percent of opponent redzone trips resulting in a score. Additionally, just 20 of the 39 opponent red zone tries (51.3 pct.) ended in a touchdown.
In addition in 2023, the Wake Forest defense made a staple of getting off the field early in drives with 43 three-and-outs. Overall last fall, Wake Forest forced its opponents into three-and-outs on 28.5 percent of opponents drives (43-of-142).
Over the course of his first season back in Winston-Salem in 2022, Adams helped defensive coordinator Brad Lambert lead a Deacs defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) as Wake Forest won eight games for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program. Additionally, the Demon Deacons downed Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which marked the 11th bowl victory in program history.
With that aforementioned win over the Tigers and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt where the Wake Forest defense was able to force three turnovers, the Deacs defeated defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference in 2022 marking the first time since 2008 and just the second time in program history that Wake accomplished that feat in a single season.
Individually, Adams tutored safeties Chelen Garnes and Malik Mustapha to stellar seasons over the past two years. Recently, Mustapha was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers and Garnes signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Mustapaha was an All-ACC player as well under Adams’ tutelage.
Adams, a two-time letterman at linebacker for Wake Forest, returned to Winston-Salem after spending the 2021 season at Purdue working with the Boilermakers cornerbacks. Purdue won nine games for the first time since 2003 and tied for the second-most wins in program history. The defense ranked 33rd in passing yards allowed (208.7 ypg) in the country and ranked 33rd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions.
Prior to moving to West Lafayette, Ind., Adams spent the 2020 season at Navy as the Midshipmen’s cornerbacks coach. Navy limited its final three opponents (Memphis, Tulsa, Army) to under 300 yards of total offense per game.
Before his lone season at Navy, Adams spent one year at Western Michigan as the cornerbacks coach, helping lead the Broncos to a 7-6 overall record and a spot in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. Under Adams’ guidance, cornerback Patrick Lupro earned 2019 third-team All-Mid-American conference honors. He ranked fifth the MAC in interceptions per game (0.25) and seventh is passes defended per game (0.83).
Adams was with Wake Forest’s new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert at Charlotte for eight seasons (2011-18), helping to start the program from scratch. Adams served as Lambert’s secondary coach and assisted with special teams.
The 49ers finished 14th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a Conference USA-leading 16 interceptions in 2016 and finished fourth in C-USA in pass defense in 2015, Charlotte’s first on the FBS level. Under the tutelage of Adams, Ben DeLuca, who is currently on the active roster for the Los Angeles Chargers, earned Freshman All-American honors in 2016 while also leading the nation in forced fumbles in 2017 and the 49ers in tackles in 2018.
Adams began his full-time coaching career at Wofford, serving as the Terriers cornerbacks coach (2010-11). Wofford won the 2010 Southern Conference championship while ranking first in the conference in total defense and passing defense.
Adams started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Wake Forest as a graduate assistant in 2009. Adams, who played in 20 games at linebacker for head coach Jim Grobe and then-assistant coach Brad Lambert, spent the 2008 season as the recruiting assistant under Ray McCartney.
A knee injury in the 2004 Clemson game forced Adams to miss the remainder of the season, but he bounced back in 2005 to see action in 10 games as a senior and recorded 10 tackles from the linebacker position.
Adams graduated from Wake Forest in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Originally from Durham, Adams attended Northern Durham High School with former Deacon standout Josh Gattis and didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year of high school. Adams was named to all-conference, all-area and all-region teams at Northern Durham, where he was coached by Gary Merill, a former teammate of McCartney at Guilford College.
Adams, a native of Durham, N.C., graduated from Wake Forest in 2006. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Londyn, and a son, Royce.
Wake Forest (2022-present)
Coaching History
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
Through the 2023 regular season, the Demon Deacons were one of the best defenses in the country, receiving an overall grade of 84.8 from PFF which ranked 45th nationally. Additionally, PFF had the Deacs ranked in the top-50 in run defense (82.4). Also, Wake Forest was one of the best teams in the country in redzone defense last year as the Deacs tied for 22nd nationally with just 76.9 percent of opponent redzone trips resulting in a score. Additionally, just 20 of the 39 opponent red zone tries (51.3 pct.) ended in a touchdown.
In addition in 2023, the Wake Forest defense made a staple of getting off the field early in drives with 43 three-and-outs. Overall last fall, Wake Forest forced its opponents into three-and-outs on 28.5 percent of opponents drives (43-of-142).
Over the course of his first season back in Winston-Salem in 2022, Adams helped defensive coordinator Brad Lambert lead a Deacs defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) as Wake Forest won eight games for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program. Additionally, the Demon Deacons downed Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which marked the 11th bowl victory in program history.
With that aforementioned win over the Tigers and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt where the Wake Forest defense was able to force three turnovers, the Deacs defeated defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference in 2022 marking the first time since 2008 and just the second time in program history that Wake accomplished that feat in a single season.
Individually, Adams tutored safeties Chelen Garnes and Malik Mustapha to stellar seasons over the past two years. Recently, Mustapha was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers and Garnes signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Mustapaha was an All-ACC player as well under Adams’ tutelage.
Adams, a two-time letterman at linebacker for Wake Forest, returned to Winston-Salem after spending the 2021 season at Purdue working with the Boilermakers cornerbacks. Purdue won nine games for the first time since 2003 and tied for the second-most wins in program history. The defense ranked 33rd in passing yards allowed (208.7 ypg) in the country and ranked 33rd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions.
Prior to moving to West Lafayette, Ind., Adams spent the 2020 season at Navy as the Midshipmen’s cornerbacks coach. Navy limited its final three opponents (Memphis, Tulsa, Army) to under 300 yards of total offense per game.
Before his lone season at Navy, Adams spent one year at Western Michigan as the cornerbacks coach, helping lead the Broncos to a 7-6 overall record and a spot in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. Under Adams’ guidance, cornerback Patrick Lupro earned 2019 third-team All-Mid-American conference honors. He ranked fifth the MAC in interceptions per game (0.25) and seventh is passes defended per game (0.83).
Adams was with Wake Forest’s new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert at Charlotte for eight seasons (2011-18), helping to start the program from scratch. Adams served as Lambert’s secondary coach and assisted with special teams.
The 49ers finished 14th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a Conference USA-leading 16 interceptions in 2016 and finished fourth in C-USA in pass defense in 2015, Charlotte’s first on the FBS level. Under the tutelage of Adams, Ben DeLuca, who is currently on the active roster for the Los Angeles Chargers, earned Freshman All-American honors in 2016 while also leading the nation in forced fumbles in 2017 and the 49ers in tackles in 2018.
Adams began his full-time coaching career at Wofford, serving as the Terriers cornerbacks coach (2010-11). Wofford won the 2010 Southern Conference championship while ranking first in the conference in total defense and passing defense.
Adams started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Wake Forest as a graduate assistant in 2009. Adams, who played in 20 games at linebacker for head coach Jim Grobe and then-assistant coach Brad Lambert, spent the 2008 season as the recruiting assistant under Ray McCartney.
A knee injury in the 2004 Clemson game forced Adams to miss the remainder of the season, but he bounced back in 2005 to see action in 10 games as a senior and recorded 10 tackles from the linebacker position.
Adams graduated from Wake Forest in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Originally from Durham, Adams attended Northern Durham High School with former Deacon standout Josh Gattis and didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year of high school. Adams was named to all-conference, all-area and all-region teams at Northern Durham, where he was coached by Gary Merill, a former teammate of McCartney at Guilford College.
Adams, a native of Durham, N.C., graduated from Wake Forest in 2006. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Londyn, and a son, Royce.
Wake Forest (2022-present)
- An elite safeties unit led by Adams was instrumental in helping the Wake Forest defense take a big step forward during the 2023 season.
- Through the regular season, the Demon Deacons have been one of the best defenses in the country, receiving an overall grade of 84.8 from PFF which ranks 45th nationally. Additionally, PFF has the Deacs ranked in the top-50 in run defense (82.4).
- Wake Forest has been one of the best teams in the country in redzone defense as the Deacs are tied for 22nd nationally with just 76.9 percent of opponent redzone trips resulting in a score. Additionally just 20 of the 39 opponent red zone tries (51.3 pct.) ended in a touchdown.
- The Wake Forest defense made a staple of getting off the field early in drives with 43 3-and-outs. Overall for the season, Wake Forest has forced its opponents into three-and-outs on 28.5 percent of opponents drives (43-of-142).
- Adams also played a key role in training top talent in defensive back Malik Mustapha was selected to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl after a stellar career at Wake Forest.
- Mustapha ranked third on Wake Forest and 15th among ACC defenders with 80 tackles on the year. It was the most by a Wake Forest defensive back since Cameron Glenn in 2018 when he finished the season with 98 tackles.
- He recorded his third-career interception on the game’s first drive against Vanderbilt and forced the fifth fumble of his career against NC State.
- Mustapha tied his career-high with 13 tackles against Syracuse, tallied a game-high 11 tackles at Duke and had a game-high tying nine tackles at Clemson.
- Wake Forest football’s mantra for the 2022 season was “MINDSET” as the Demon Deacons looked to follow up its historic year in 2021.
- The Deacs won eight games in a season for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program.
- With the win over Missouri on Friday and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference this fall for the first time since 2008, and just the second time in program history the Deacs accomplished this feat in a single season.
- The 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl marked Wake Forest’s seventh-straight bowl appearance, a new school record.
- Additionally, the Demon Deacons’ streak is the second-longest active streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the 12th longest in the nation.
- A 6-1 start to the 2022 season, including three-straight home sellout crowds inside Allegacy Stadium and a top-10 ranking, highlighted Wake Forest’s season this past fall.
- Adams helped defensive coordinator Brad Lambert coordinate a Deacs defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) and continued a stretch of 30-plus sacks and 85-plus tackles-for-loss as a unit for the third time in the last four seasons (2020).
- Individually, Adams tutored safeties Chelen Garnes and Malik Mustapha who ranked third and fourth on the team this past season in tackles with 71 and 58, respectively. The duo combined for 10 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.
- Purdue won nine games for the first time since 2003 and tied for the second-most wins in program history. Additionally, they won five games away / neutral site games for the first time since 1943. Purdue finished with a record of 6-3 in Big Ten play, the most conference wins in a season since the 2003 team went 6-2.
- Two of those victories were over previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), giving the Boilermakers two wins over Top 5 teams for the first time since 1960.
- The defense ranked 33rd in passing yards allowed (208.7 ypg) in the country and ranked 33rd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions.
- Tutored CB Dedrick Mackey to three interceptions, one forced fumble and 37 tackles during the season. He recorded one of those picks in the Boilermakers win over No. 2 Iowa.
- During his lone season with the Midshipmen as the cornerbacks coach, Navy finished with the top passing defense in the American Athletic Conference allowing just 180.8 yards per game.
- Navy finished the 2020 season strong, limiting its final three opponents (Memphis, Tulsa and Army) to under 300 yards of total offense per game.
- It was the first time that a Navy defense had done that since 1997 when the Mids did it in seven-consecutive games.
- Adams came to Navy from Western Michigan, where in his one season in Kalamazoo he helped lead the Broncos to a 7-6 record and a berth in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
- Adams tutored Third-Team All-Mid-American Conference cornerback Patrick Lupro, who earned the honor despite not starting until week five when he stepped in for injured starter D’Wayne Eskridge.
- Lupro ended the year ranked fifth in the MAC in interceptions per game (0.25) and seventh in passes defended per game (0.83).
- Adams’ work with the cornerbacks helped the Broncos gain 22 turnovers, tied for the second most in the MAC, including 13 interceptions. The cornerbacks were at their best during the latter portion of the campaign, holding three of Western Michigan’s final five opponents to less than 150 passing yards. The Broncos surrendered more than 18 completions just twice in the last five games.
- One of the highlights of WMU’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl performance was turned in by cornerback Kareem Ali, who returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown.
- The play was the first interception returned for a touchdown in a bowl game in program history, longest play in a bowl game in program history and the longest interception return in MAC bowl history.
- He was one of the five staff members to start the 49ers football program.
- He served as the team’s secondary coach from 2011-18 and also assisted with coaching special teams.
- In 2016, Charlotte led Conference USA with 16 interceptions (14th in FBS) and ranked second in turnover margin (+8).
- He coached 2016 Freshman All-American, 2017 national leader in forced fumbles and 2018 team leader in tackles, Ben DeLuca.
- In 2015, Adams oversaw a secondary that ranked fourth in C-USA in pass defense in the program’s first season at the FBS level. Charlotte had 10 picks, led by cornerback Terrance Winchester who tied for first in C-USA with four interceptions.
- Charlotte ranked 25th in the FCS with 15 interceptions during the 49ers inaugural season of 2013. Charlotte added another 13 INTs in 2014.
- 49ers safety Desmond Cooper became the first Charlotte player to sign an NFL contract when he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2016, safety Branden Dozier was invited to the Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp.
- Adams was at Wofford as the cornerbacks coach from 2010 to 2011, helping the Terriers win the 2010 Southern Conference Championship. Wofford ranked first in the Southern Conference in total defense and passing defense that season.
- Adams started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Wake Forest as a graduate assistant in 2009.
- He also served as a recruiting assistant in 2008 after his playing career as a linebacker for the Demon Deacons was cut short by injury. Lambert was on Wake Forest’s coaching staff while Adams played and coached.
- Adams, a native of Durham, N.C., graduated from Wake Forest in 2006. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Londyn, and a son, Royce.
| Season | Bowl Game | Opponent | Result |
| 2022 | Gasparilla Bowl (Wake Forest) | Missouri | W, 27-17 |
| 2021 | Music City Bowl (Purdue) | Tennessee | W, 48-45 (OT) |
| 2019 | Servpro First Responder Bowl (WMU) | Western Kentucky | L, 23-20 |
Coaching History
| Seasons | School/Team | Title/Position Coached |
| 2022-Present | Wake Forest | Safeties |
| 2021 | Purdue | Cornerbacks |
| 2020 | Navy | Cornerbacks |
| 2019 | Western Michigan | Cornerbacks |
| 2011-18 | Charlotte | Secondary / Asst. Special Teams |
| 2010-11 | Wofford | Cornerbacks |
| 2009 | Wake Forest | Graduate Assistant |
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
- DB Malik Mustapha (4th) - Wake Forest '24 - San Francisco 49ers
- DB Sanoussi Kane (7th) - Purdue '24 - Baltimore Ravens
- DB Chelen Garnes (UDFA) - Wake Forest '24 - Detroit Lions
- S Ben DeLuca (UDFA) - Charlotte ‘21 - San Diego Chargers
- Hometown: Durham, N.C.
- Education: 2006 - Bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest
- Wife: Tori
- Children: Londyn and Royce
Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
QB Robbie Ashford takes it himself for the score
Thursday, September 11
Chris Barnes scores the TD on the game's first kick
Thursday, September 11
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
