Reports: Hogs hiring SEC veteran to coach DL
After going with a young coach for his first offseason hire, Sam Pittman is apparently taking the experienced route to fill his other staff vacancy.
Deke Adams, who spent the 2021 season at FIU and has coached for more than two decades, is set to be hired as Arkansas’ new defensive line coach, according to multiple reports. He replaces Jermial Ashley, who was fired earlier this week.
This will be Adams’ fourth different stop in the SEC, as he previously coached at Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina. He has also coached at North Carolina, East Carolina, Southern Miss and ULM at the FBS level.
Before this season, Adams was part of Lane Kiffin’s first staff at Ole Miss. That came after a one-year stint at Mississippi State for the Meridian, Miss., native.
While at South Carolina under Steve Spurrier from 2013-15, he coached a pair of All-American defensive linemen in Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles. Clowney went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
His resume also includes coaching All-American defensive tackle Sylvester Williams and All-ACC defensive end Kareem Martin at North Carolina and All-CUSA defensive end Cordarro Law and second-round pick Jamie Collins at Southern Miss.
Other than facing the Razorbacks in Fayetteville at each of his previous three SEC coaching stops, Adams has spent time in the Natural State as a defensive line coach at Ouachita Baptist, a Division II program in Arkadelphia, from 2002-05. He was even the defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2005.
It is the second hire Pittman has made this week. He tabbed Dominique Bowman as the cornerbacks coach a day after Sam Carter left for Ole Miss and has now filled the defensive line coaching vacancy less than a week after firing Ashley.
Coaching History
2021 - FIU (defensive line/run game coordinator)
2020 - Ole Miss (defensive line)
2019 - Mississippi State (defensive line)
2017-18 - North Carolina (defensive line)
2016 - East Carolina (defensive line)
2013-15 - South Carolina (defensive line)
2012 - North Carolina (defensive line)
2009-11 - Southern Miss (defensive line)
2008 - Louisiana-Monroe (linebackers/player development)
2006-07 - North Carolina A&T (defensive coordinator)
2002-05 - Ouachita Baptist (defensive line + DC in 2005)
1998-02 - Pearl River C.C. (linebackers from 1998-00, co-DC/secondary from 2001-02)
1997 - Jacksonville State (defensive line)