Former Longtime Patriots Staffer Wins Coaching Debut at High School Alma Mater

Ernie Adams has held either a coaching or staff position in the NFL for nearly 50 years.

Adams’ Time in the NFL

Most of those years were spent with the New England Patriots through two stints – one from 1975-78 and the other between 2000-21. In his second stint, Adams was a football research director for former Patriots coach Bill Belichick (now at UNC) and received six Super Bowl rings in that span.

After being out of the NFL for almost five years, Adams was named the interim head football at his alma mater Phillips Academy-Andover in Massachusetts.

Adams’ Coaching Debut a Success

Adams made his coaching debut on Saturday and his new Big Blue era began with a 28-23 season-opening win over Hotchkiss.

“We kept playing, one play at a time,” Adams said via the Boston Herald. “This is a very resilient bunch.”

Adams is a 1971 graduate of Phillips Academy who was in the same class as Belichick. He was a guard during his playing days with the Big Blue.

The Inspiration Adams Has For Coaching

These days, Adams has traded in a football helmet for a coaching hat. While Belichick has had a positive impact on Adams’ career in football, he also takes inspiration from his former Andover coach Steve Sorota, who coached the Big Blue for 42 years.

“That’s why I’m doing this,” Adams said. “Andover is part of my DNA. There is no other school where I’d do this.”

How the Big Blue Came Back in the 1st Half

Andover was down 14-0 to Hotchkiss in the first half. Then, Big Blue running back Ubie Zaid cut it to 14-7 on a 26-yard touchdown run.

Minutes later, Andover tied it at 14-14 when quarterback Landon Husereau found Will Mascena on a 28-yard touchdown reception. The Big Blue went up 21-14 on a six-yard TD run by Zaid midway through the third quarter.

“Our O-line is the heart of our team,” Zaid said via the Boston Herald. “There’s nothing we can do without them, and I have to really shout out to our tight end, Gus Concemi, because so many of my cuts came from him. Plus we get to play for Coach Adams. The plays that he draws up work. There’s no better coach than him.”

Andover Completes Come-From-Behind Effort

Before the third came to a close, Hotchkiss knotted it at 21-21 after Peter Flora connected with Freddy Conyers for an 80-yard TD pass.

Andover took the lead for good in the fourth when Husereau fired a pass up the middle to Mascena for a 20-yard score.

“We met in the spring, and we’ve been running routes ever since,” Husereau said via the Boston Herald. “Our line was excellent, so was our running game and our defense, and Mascena was amazing.”

‘That’s what it’s all about’

Hotchkiss cut it to five points late in the fourth on a safety. The safety, however, came when Andover’s Will Corbin forced the ball out of the end zone after Hotchkiss blocked the Blue Blue’s punt.

Hotchkiss reached the red zone on its next possession before time expired, but a strong defensive stand by Andover iced a 28-23 victory.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Adams said via The Boston Globe. “We’ve got plenty of things to work on, but we made enough plays to win.”

With the opener and the first win of the season out of the way, the Big Blue are looking forward to learning from the experience that Adams brings to the program.

“It’s inspiring knowing I have a coach with so much knowledge and who has won so much,” Andover cornerback Armani Pereira said via the Boston Herald. “The whole team, we’re really taking in everything he is teaching us, and we want to make him proud by executing.”

Big Blue Hit the Road Next Weekend

Andover will have an away game against Williston Northampton on Saturday at 6 p.m.

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