Former Maryland Boys Basktball Coach Keith Adams Continues to Impact Student-Athletes Through CKA SAVE Project

Dr. Keith Adams wears many hats.

Husband, father, teacher, former college and high school basketball coach and podcaster are just a few ways to describe Keith Adams.

Adams, founder and Co-Host of the “Odd Coaches Podcast” and author of the book “Finding the Balance: My Personal Journey to Academic and Athletic Success” has certainly made his mark in the sports world.

A Life in Coaching

Adams spent time as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball program at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. He has also coached boys’ high school basketball in Montgomery County, Maryland.

During his tenure as the head coach at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, Adams helped guide the Blue Devils to the 2004 state championship game, where they lost to a Northwestern High School (Hyattsville, Maryland) team that featured future NBA champion Jeff Green.

Adams coached Folarin Campbell on that Springbrook High School team. Campbell went on to play at George Mason University where he was mentored by legendary head coach Jim Larranaga and helped guide the Patriots to an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2006.

Building the CKA SAVE Project

Adams, a Montgomery County, Maryland native, is also founder and President of the CKA SAVE Project, a national nonprofit organization designed to assist student-athletes and the people who work with them through educational and professional development.

The acronym stands for Coach Keith Adams Student Athletes Valuing Education. That's where the name CKA SAVE originated.

In an exclusive interview with High School On SI, Adams explained how the CKA SAVE Project has grown over the years.

From Local Impact to National Reach

“We are a national organization,” said Adams, “so we are not regional anymore. We work with people from coast to coast.”

Adams, who had a coaching stint at his alma mater Paint Branch High School (Burtonsville, Maryland), recalled sitting around with his former Paint Branch High School student-athletes Seye Aluko, Jamaal Wise, Omar Merchant and Mike Evans one day in 2009 and on April 24 of that year the CKSA SAVE Project was born.

“They helped me file the paperwork for our 501(c)(3),” said Adams who estimates that his national nonprofit organization has impacted thousands of student-athletes over the years.

Helping Student-Athletes Beyond the Game

The national nonprofit organization offers professional services such as academic and athletic consulting along with educational research as well as conducting school and community workshops on topics related to the student-athlete experience.

Support From Coaching Leaders

“There is no greater responsibility in life than to help others,” said Jim Larranaga, who also guided the University of Miami to an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2023. “Keith Adams and the CKA SAVE Project embody this ideal. His efforts have and will continue to have a positive impact on the young people he works with. His devotion to helping students is a shining example to all of us as to what can be accomplished when you make a total commitment to doing the right thing,”

Over the years, the CKA SAVE Project has sponsored field trips to New York City for young people along with providing a platform to showcase promising student-athletes through academic all-star games and holiday tournaments.

“We’ve been invested in people for over 16 years and now instead of just doing it locally, we’re doing this nationally and it’s been awesome,” said Adams.

For more information, visit the CKA SAVE Project website.

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