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A Miami native and former Miami Dolphins assistant coach, Blue Adams was named the Bulls’ defensive backs coach in February of 2017.

Adams, who played four seasons at defensive back in the NFL, including two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will take on his ninth season in coaching and second at USF in 2018. He previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, first as assistant defensive backs coach (2012-13) and then as secondary coach (2014-15). He also served as the cornerbacks coach at West Virginia in 2016.

In his first season at USF (2017), Adams guided a secondary that helped USF finish second in the nation with 20 interceptions. Defensive backs Devin Abraham and Deatrick Nichols earned second team all-conference honors as Abraham ranked 11^th nationally with five interceptions and Nichols led The American in passes defended (1.3 pg). The play of the secondary helped USF’s defense finish in the top 25 of the national rankings in six categories and go from 120^th in total defense (482.0 ypg) and 92^nd in scoring (31.6 ppg) the prior year to 37^th (359.8 ypg) and 41^st (21.5 ppg), respectively, in 2017. The Bulls ranked eighth nationally and first in The American in pass efficiency defense (110.53).

At WVU (2016), Adams helped the Mountaineers go 10-3 and reach the Capital One Citrus Bowl. WVU cornerback Rasul Douglas led the nation in interceptions per game (0.6) and posted eight total interceptions on the year as he earned second team All-America and first team All-Big 12 honors and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN.com. The Mountaineers ranked second in the Big 12 in pass-efficiency defense.

Prior to working with the Dolphins, Adams served as defensive backs coach at Northern Iowa (2011), where he was responsible for the entire secondary and served as the team's defensive pass game coordinator. His Panthers secondary finished with 13 of the team's 18 interceptions that season and cornerback Vermah Sonie earned all-conference honors. The Panthers were Missouri Valley co-champions and advanced to the FCS Playoff quarterfinals

Adams began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Purdue (2010), helping guide all-conference cornerback Ricardo Allen as the Boilermakers reached the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl. Both Sonie and Allen went on to play in the NFL.

Adams played cornerback at Cincinnati and earned All-Conference USA honors in 2002. He earned his bachelor's degree from UC in 2003.

He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. During his NFL career, Adams was a member of regular season rosters of teams in Detroit (2003), Jacksonville (2003), Tampa Bay (2005-06) and Cincinnati (2007). He also played for the Rhein Fire (2004) and earned All-NFL Europe honors.

Adams is a 1997 graduate of Miami Senior High School, where he earned all-state honorable mention and all-county first team honors in football.