Spencer Adams was announced as the first head coach in the history of the Bellarmine University wrestling program in June of 2016.
Adams will enter his fifth season at the helm in 2020-21.
The program's inception came in 2016 and Bellarmine spent four seasons in Division II before transitioning to Division I and the Southern Conference in 2020-21. After four total duals wins the first two years, Bellarmine amassed 15 the last two seasons. In the third year, Gage Branson (149) and Brandon Lucas (125) earned berths in the NCAA Championships.
In three Great Lakes Valley Conference seasons, Bellarmine collected seven All-GLVC accolades and eight GLVC Wrestler of the Week acknowledgements along with two team James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Awards. The Knights amassed 11 NWCA Scholar All-American honors during that time.
In 2019-20, Bellarmine's final season in DII, the Knights earned a top-25 ranking and Branson, Eric Beck and Zach Larue all finished in the top 15 nationally for falls. In a GLVC loaded with nationally ranked squads, Bellarmine tied for third.
The 2018-19 campaign was a historic one for the Knights. Lucas and Branson became the first wrestlers in program history to earn berths to the DII NCAA Championships.The Knights tripled their amount of team duals wins from the previous season, defeating three nationally ranked opponents from DII and the NAIA along the way. The team improved its individual win total by 132 from the year prior. Bellarmine garnered four All-GLVC awards.
In 2017-18, Adams led Bellarmine to its first-ever GLVC duals victories when the Knights swept Truman State and Drury in Knights Hall by finals of 33-15 and 28-14. Andrew Sams became the program's first All-GLVC performer, and Sams also was the first to be named GLVC Wrestler of the Week, doing so on two occasions.
Adams arrived at Bellarmine after shepherding the start of the program and head coaching two years at St. Catharine (Ky.) College, which closed after the 2015-16 school year. He also created the Taylor County (Ky.) High School wrestling program.
While at St. Catharine, Adams guided the Patriots to finishes of 39th (2015) and 31st (2016) in the NAIA National Championship. The squad also was honored with the NAIA’s prestigious “Champions of Character” team award in 2015-16. The award is presented at the end of the season for each of the NAIA’s 23 championship sports to recognize teams that demonstrate in every-day decisions integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Adams was a true architect of Taylor County wrestling. In addition to the varsity wrestling program at the high school, he started programs at the middle school and youth levels at Taylor County. His ability to develop athletes on the mat was immediately evident, as Adams produced one Kentucky state qualifier and five alternates in his first year.
Adams was a highly accomplished collegiate performer at Campbellsville, where he earned three NAIA All-America honors over his sterling four-year career. Adams was a national qualifier all four years, garnered three Mid-South Conference championships and departed Campbellsville with the second-highest wins total in program history. He was team captain from 2009-12 and received the Team Champions of Character Award in 2012.
Adams also was a standout student at Campbellsville, earning the Environmental Biology Award and the Earth Stewardship Award in 2012 while earning his undergraduate degree in biology. He also earned a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Campbellsville, finishing at the top of his class with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Adams is a state representative of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and on the state board for USA Wrestling.
Adams has a wife, Brandie, and three sons: Elijah, Owen and Abel.
