Chris Adams is just the third head coach in the program's history. Including his two seasons as the head coach of the men's team, Adams holds a 218-115-32 career record. Adams is the only head coach in the history of UNG men's program to own a career winning record.
Adams has built a consistent winner in the UNG women’s soccer program, reaching double digits in wins each of the past 11 seasons and making postseason play a regular occurrence with six trips to the NCAA Tournament in the past nine years, making it to the second round in each appearance and to the Sweet 16 in 2016.
The Nighthawks have been dominant in their past five seasons with a combined record of 86-23-11, with back-to-back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament from 2014-16. Most recently, the Nighthawks claimed the top spot in the Peach Belt Conference tournament in 2017 after being named co-champions of the regular season. The program achieved the highest ranking in program history climbing to No. 2 in the NSCAA Division II Top 25 national ranking in October of 2015.
In 2014, UNG was ranked as high as sixth-nationally during the regular season and finished the year as the highest scoring team in NCAA Division II with a 358 goals per game average, while also leading the nation in total point, total goals and points per game. The Nighthawks made their deepest run to date that season falling to Lenoir-Rhyne in penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Adams joined the UNG coaching staff as the head men's and women's soccer coach in 2003. In two seasons at the helm of the men's program, Adams led North Georgia to a 19-17-2 mark and was named the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Coach of the Year in 2004. He led North Georgia to a third place finish in the conference and their first NAIA Regional Tournament appearance in the program's history.
In addition to his collegiate coaching pedigree, Adams also has successful head coaching experience on the professional level as he led the 2011 version of the Atlanta Silverbacks women’s team to the United Soccer League’s W-League Championship with a 6-1 victory over the Ottawa Fury.
Adams began his coaching career in 1995 while an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, where he helped build the first women's soccer team. In the first year of competition, the Lady Bulldogs went 10-5-3 overall and posted a 3-3-2 mark in Southeastern Conference action. In his three seasons with Georgia, the Lady Bulldogs compiled a 39-19-4 overall record and a 14-8-2 record in SEC play.
Following graduation, Adams accepted a job at Jacksonville State University as the lead assistant coach. He returned to the Peach State in 1999 to manage the soccer program at the YWCO in Athens. After directing the program for two years, Adams began teaching at Clarke Central High School in Athens, where he coached the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, and taught health and physical education.
The Athens, Georgia native is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health with a coaching emphasis. He also recently earned his Master of Science in Physical Education and Health at North Georgia.
Adams holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "A" License, a USSF National Youth License, and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National License.
Adams and his wife Melissa reside in Dahlonega and have two daughters, Gracen and Anna.
