Longtime Ventura College baseball coach Don Adams is headed to the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Adams, who was head coach of the Pirates from 1995-2017 amassed 738 wins during his tenure and led VC to the Western State Conference championships in 2006. He was also an assistant coach with Hall of Famer Gary Anglin for 15 seasons, helping the Pirates to the 1989 WSC crown. He, along with other Hall of Fame inductees, will be honored at the state association meetings in Fresno on Friday May 24.
Adams was a standout athlete during the early 1970's having been a member of Ventura High School's CIF championship team. He earned All-Channel League and All-CIF honors for coach Fred Lloyd and the Cougars. After his high school career he attended Ventura College and helped lead the Pirates to the 1974 WSC championship. Adams committed only two errors at second base during his two years at VC, and was named all-WSC following his sophomore season. Adams he earned a scholarship to Westmont College in Montecito where he twice earned NAIA All-District accolades. He helped lead his team to a national title appearance during his senior season.
Adams immediately began his coaching career following his playing days. Prior to his arrival at VC, he coached two years at Westmont College as the assistant coach. During his time in Montecito, the Warriors earned a No. 1 national ranking in the NAIA. Adams moved on to spend the next year as the assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara where he would also earn his Master's Degree in Physical Education. In 1981 Anglin approached Adams, asking him to return to his alma mater and become the assistant coach at Ventura College. Adams accepted the offer and spent the next 15 years helping the Pirates win the 1989 WSC title. VC also qualified for the post-season several times during the Anglin-Adams era. Adams was promoted to head coach in 1995 and led the Pirates to the 2006 WSC championship and several playoff appearances.
Coach Adams also spent several years assisting the football team at VC, coaching wide receivers. He also spent several summers managing the Ventura County Royals club baseball team. He was the Western State Conference Sports Information Director for 31 years.
Adams' coaching career spanned four decades. He brought a vast amount of knowledge of the game of baseball as a player, assistant coach and a head coach. The number of athletes who have received four-year scholarships or gone on to professional careers during Adams' time at Ventura College is extensive, and the transfer rate for VC players is over 80 percent.
Adams continues his involvement with the VC baseball program as a consultant and he continues to be the official statistician for the team. He is a life long resident of Ventura where he lives with his wife of 37 years, Jill, and son Matthew