Before going into management, the "straight-talking Yorkshireman" had already demonstrated his ability to spot talented youngsters. Around 1994, he spotted
Wayne Bridge playing for Olivers Battery; he recommended Bridge to Southampton, who then signed him as a trainee in July 1996.
Fulham Having successfully coached Fulham's
reserve team in the Capital League, Adams moved into management, taking over from Ian Branfoot in March 1996 with the London club languishing in 91st place in the league pyramid. After he had helped the club avoid
non-League football, Fulham were
promoted to Division Two as runners-up in the following season's final table, and Adams was given the Third Division Manager of the Season award. He built his side on free transfers and small fees, installing belief and self-confidence in the players at his disposal rather than spending big money. The highest fee he spent on a player during his reign was £200,000 for former "Saints" teammate
Paul Moody. Following
Mohamed Al-Fayed's takeover of Fulham, Adams was dismissed as manager in September 1997 in favour of the higher profile combination of
Kevin Keegan (
director of football) and
Ray Wilkins (
head coach). Before 1997 was out, Adams took his third job of the
1997–98 season when he was named manager of
Brentford. The club had suffered a slump in league form after losing the previous season's Division Two
play-off final, and were struggling near the foot of the table. He signed striker
Andy Scott from Sheffield United for a fee of £75,000, as well as signing
Glenn Cockerill as player/assistant manager,
Warren Aspinall and
loanee Nigel Gleghorn. However, injuries began to mount, with
Ijah Anderson,
Derek Bryan and
Ricky Reina all sidelined. Adams was named as
Second Division Manager of the Month for March after overseeing three wins and two draws. Despite Adams' efforts, Brentford were
relegated to Division Three on the last day of the season, and the club was bought out by
Ron Noades, who installed himself as the new Brentford manager.
Brighton & Hove Albion Adams returned to management in April 1999 with Division Three team
Brighton & Hove Albion. The club were in the middle of a financial crisis, which had seen the board sell the
Goldstone Ground to stay afloat; on the
pitch the club were facing a battle for their league status. His first full season as manager was a matter of consolidation as the club finished a respectable 11th, whilst Adams signed talent such as star striker
Bobby Zamora. The £100,000 spent on Zamora was the only
transfer outlay Adams made in building his squad. In his second season as manager,
2000–01, Adams guided Brighton to promotion as Division Three champions after spending five seasons in the league's basement division. A late chase for the title proved to be unnecessary, as high flying Chesterfield were deducted nine points for financial irregularities, leaving Brighton ten points clear at the season's end. He was named Third Division Manager of the season for a second time, also picking up the
Third Division Manager of the Month award in September 2000. Adams was clear about his ambitions of managing at a higher level, stating his disappointment at not being offered the management positions at either Southampton or West Ham United in the summer of 2001. He did leave "Seagulls" in October 2001, though by then he had already set the foundations for Brighton to achieve a second-successive promotion as Division Two champions in
2001–02. Over the summer, he had brought in players such as
Simon Morgan,
Geoff Pitcher,
Robbie Pethick and
Dirk Lehmann to give Brighton depth.
Leicester City In October 2001 Adams left Brighton to become assistant manager to Dave Bassett at
Leicester City.
Peter Taylor, the former Leicester manager, was drafted in to complete Brighton's promotion campaign. Adams chose the move to get closer to his dream of managing a Premiership club. He understood that Bassett was to move 'upstairs' at the end of the season, leaving Adams free to take the management job for
2002–03. Adams spent six months working under Bassett when Leicester were almost permanently stuck at the bottom of the Premier League table. In March 2002 he demanded the management position for the next season. However, he later apologised for his comments and insisted he was happy working under Bassett, and had no regrets about leaving Brighton. The next month, just before relegation was confirmed, Adams was promoted to the manager's seat while Bassett became Director of Football. Adams said: "I'm not expecting to produce a miracle, I'm still working with the same group of players". In July 2002 he appointed
Alan Cork as his number two. Losing just one of their opening eleven games, his side made an excellent start to the campaign, seeing Adams rewarded with the
Manager of the Month award for September 2002. Despite Leicester going into receivership with debts of £30 million and being banned from the
transfer market until a takeover was completed, He was in charge for the first game at the
Walkers Stadium. Despite a good start to their campaign, the club fell into the relegation zone in the new year. Adams was resentful of lucrative long-term contracts dealt out to his less talented players by previous managers, which restricted his ability to bring in fresh faces to boost their campaign. Leicester slipped back down again in
2003–04 to 18th place, bracketed together with the two other relegated sides — Leeds United and
Wolverhampton Wanderers — whose
goal difference was inferior to Leicester's. The "Foxes" were becoming a "yo-yo club" and Adams blamed this on a lack of investment. During March 2004 nine Leicester players were arrested for various offences related to a drunken outing that ended with an alleged sexual assault on three German tourists, with three players being charged:
Paul Dickov,
Frank Sinclair and
Keith Gillespie. The three faced up to 14 years in prison if found guilty of rape, and the trio's bail totalled £196,500. The club had already been rocked by various incidents on overseas tours over years, with
Stan Collymore arrested for setting off a fire extinguisher in 2000, and
Dennis Wise breaking
Callum Davidson's jaw in a row over a card game in 2002. Adams had previously initiated a crackdown on club discipline, going so far as to enforce random breathalyser tests. Adams said that "in a lot of people's eyes, the players are guilty before they have had a fair trial – which is not the case". The incident also cast doubt over Adams' future at the club, as reports surfaced that he planned to quit the club. He did offer his resignation, which was rejected by the club. However, he kept faith in his players' innocence, and claimed "if they are guilty of anything it is of being unprofessional – of being drunk to excess". His faith was later vindicated when it transpired that all allegations against the players were false. The club lost their talismanic
Turk Muzzy Izzet in the summer of 2004. Adams had previously stated his concern that they would be unable to regain their top tier status before he resigned as Leicester manager in October 2004, after a poor start to the
Championship campaign dashed the club's hopes of an instant return to the Premiership.
Coventry City In January 2005, Adams returned to management in the Championship with struggling Coventry City, a club he had been at during his playing career. Adams managed to save the club from relegation by the end of
the season, winning the
Championship Manager of the Month award for April in the process. He was expected by some to mount a challenge for promotion to the Premiership in
2005–06, which was the club's first season in the new
Ricoh Arena. The team started poorly but improved in the second half of the season to rise the table, with Adams making an inspired signing of Dennis Wise. His team started well, However, midway through the campaign, following a run of five games without defeat, Coventry suddenly and unexpectedly hit a bad run of form. A 5–0 defeat at
West Bromwich Albion began eight games without a win, including six defeats. This culminated in a 2–0 home defeat to
Bristol City in the
FA Cup, a game which also saw a record low attendance at the Ricoh Arena. On 17 January 2007, the day after the cup exit, the club parted company with Adams, with Coventry lying 16th in the Championship. Adams stated that he intended to return to management as soon as possible. He admitted that the sale of
Gary McSheffrey to
Birmingham City had been a turning point in the club's season, but also said that "I genuinely believe that I could have turned it around" and "I tried my best and that's all I can do."
Colchester and return to Brighton In July 2007, Adams was appointed by
Colchester United as assistant manager to
Geraint Williams, replacing
Mick Harford who had left the previous month. He subsequently left this role in January 2008, stating that he wanted to return to management. In May 2008, Adams returned to the helm at Brighton & Hove Albion, supplanting
Dean Wilkins. He brought in former
Wales international
Robbie Savage and future Premier League midfielder
Bradley Johnson in on loan. On 2 February 2009, he spent £150,000 on defender
Jimmy McNulty and signed striker
Craig Davies for an undisclosed fee; However, 19 days later, Adams left the club by "mutual consent" (although he had stated he wished to stay) due to poor team performances. He later acknowledged that it had been a mistake to return to Brighton and that he should have instead sought a fresh opportunity elsewhere.
Port Vale 1–0 at
Vale Park in September 2010. Adams was announced as manager of
Port Vale in June 2009, having been a late applicant for the post vacated by
Dean Glover. However, "legal complications" meant he would only sign a contract nearly two months later. Chairman
Bill Bratt stated that Adams' first goal would be to stabilise the club, following the "Valiants" fall from the second tier to near the bottom of the
English Football League within ten years. He made his first signing on 15 June, bringing in 21-year-old midfielder
Tommy Fraser, who had played for Adams at Brighton. After confirming the signing of
Adam Yates, who was linked to the club before his arrival, Adams signed
Doug Loft, who had also played under him at Brighton. On 21 July, Adams had appointed veteran striker
Geoff Horsfield as player-assistant manager. He led the Vale to victory over Championship sides Sheffield United and
Sheffield Wednesday in the opening rounds of the
League Cup. However, following a period of three defeats in seven days, Adams decided to place his whole squad on the transfer list, saying of his team's performance: "We looked like a woman who had a big fur coat on but underneath she's got no knickers on." It was a controversial move, one that divided opinion among analysts and fans, also bringing the fourth-tier club to national attention. He later admitted he merely played "a psychological game with them... [and] I don't think they fell for it – I don't think anybody fell for it". Three wins – including a
Football League Trophy win over League One
Stockport County and a league win at local rivals
Crewe Alexandra – and three draws within four weeks saw Adams nominated for the
League Two Manager of the Month award for October 2009. In the
January 2010 transfer window he signed winger
Lewis Haldane permanently, and took winger
Sean Rigg and striker Craig Davies on loan. Adams' men stormed into the play-off places for the first time in the season with just two games left to play, following a 2–1 win over champions-elect
Notts County. Yet with just one point from their final two games, the Vale finished the season in 10th place. In building for the
2010–11 season, Adams released nine players, and signed Sean Rigg,
Stuart Tomlinson,
Justin Richards,
Ritchie Sutton and
Gary Roberts. The season began similarly to the previous campaign, with a 3–1 win at Championship side Queens Park Rangers in the
League Cup first round, new signing Richards scoring twice. Five wins in five for September saw Adam's gifted the League Two Manager of the Month award, his team also boasting five clean sheets. He was also handed the award for November after his team advanced into the
Third round of the FA Cup and rose to the top of the
League Two table on the back of five clean sheets in seven games. Departing for his boyhood club at the end of December 2010, he left the club in second position in League Two.
Sheffield United In December 2010, following
Gary Speed's departure from the job as manager of Sheffield United for the position as the head coach of Wales, Adams was one of a handful of names linked to the vacant position at his boyhood club Sheffield United. On
Christmas Eve, Vale chairman Bill Bratt announced he had "reluctantly" given Adams permission to talk to Sheffield United. Six days later it was announced that he would be taking the position. As Adams explained: "When you're manager at Port Vale you probably get three calls a day and one of those is from the wife asking me what time I'm coming home for my tea." Adams told the press that "The fans were singing 'you're not fit to wear the shirt', I cannot disagree with them. That is as disappointing a result as I have ever had in my career." It took three months before he achieved his first win. The victory came on 8 March 2011 (his 14th game in charge), as his side came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 2–1. Sheffield United were relegated to
League One at the end of the season, finishing six points short of safety. Adams and United parted company after a meeting with the owner
Kevin McCabe. McCabe stated that he wished to initiate a "clean sweep at the top and start afresh", whilst Adams said that he was "very, very disappointed with the decision... I am a Blade and will always be a Blade."
Return to Port Vale After losing his job at
Bramall Lane, he was immediately offered a three-year contract at former club Port Vale. He signed the contract within days, saying it was time to "finish the job I started". Upon hearing the news, star defender
Gareth Owen reversed his decision to leave the club, and promptly signed a two-year deal as player-coach. His first signings of the season were former
Glenn Hoddle Academy youngsters
Ryan Burge and
Ben Williamson. He followed this by tying Gary Roberts to the club for another season, and signing
Walsall centre-half
Clayton McDonald, left-back
Mike Green, and Sheffield United teenagers
Kingsley James and
Phil Roe. Days before the start of
the season he let Justin Richards leave on a free transfer to
Burton Albion, and replaced him with
Rotherham United striker
Tom Pope, also a free transfer signing. After his team started the campaign with a glut of goals – both scoring and conceding – Adams decided to give his players "a kick up the backside" by signing experienced defenders
Liam Chilvers (on loan) and
Rob Kozluk. He stepped down as a director on 5 November, the day of his 100th game in charge at Port Vale, after former director Stan Meigh withdrew the £50,000 sponsorship he had provided to keep Adams on the board of directors. His team exited the three cup competitions at the first round in 2011–12, and after losing to non-League
Grimsby Town in the FA Cup in a run of five games without a win – which included 388 minutes without scoring a goal – he signed
Guy Madjo,
Jennison Myrie-Williams and
Shane O'Connor on loan. These proved to be inspired signings, as a Madjo
hat-trick meant that the two Stevenage loanees scored a total of five goals between them in their first three games. However, in December he admitted that the club's off-the-field issues were a cause of concern for him and that he was being "kept very much in the dark." Nominated for the Manager of the Month award for three wins in four December games, Adams revealed that due to the club's precarious financial position, he was unable to sign any new players or even retain his loan players in the January transfer window – despite the chairman having previously told him to draw up a list of transfer targets. He did though manage to sign
Chris Shuker and
Paul Marshall on non-contract terms. He would also have signed Chris Birchall, However, before the deal was finalised the Football League placed the club under a transfer embargo after a tax bill went unpaid. The club entered
administration on 9 March, ending what had been a genuine push for promotion; talks between the administrator and Adams did not seem constructive, as Adams told the press that he was "taking legal advice". However, he stayed put, and steered the "Valiants" to a 12th-place finish; they would have been only 3 points off the play-offs had the club not entered administration. In May, he was linked with the vacant management position at Gillingham, with his friendship with "Gills" chairman
Paul Scally cited in his favour in media reports. With the club still unable to sign new players due to administration in May 2012, Adams offered contracts to 16 players for the
2012–13 campaign. However, he lost four of his best players in
Lee Collins,
Anthony Griffith, Sean Rigg, and
captain and top-scorer
Marc Richards; all of whom signed big money contracts elsewhere, leaving Adams needing to rebuild the team largely from scratch. He duly signed midfielder
Darren Murphy and winger Jennison Myrie-Williams from
Stevenage, Colchester United attacker
Ashley Vincent,
Shrewsbury Town goalkeeper
Chris Neal, Crewe Alexandra centre-back
David Artell, and former Wales international
Richard Duffy. He was named as Manager of the Month in September 2012, after his side beat
Tranmere Rovers in the League Trophy and claimed 13 of a possible 18 points in the league to take the administration-hit club to second in the league. New owners took the club out of administration and allowed Adams to strengthen his squad in January by signing four experienced players: striker
Lee Hughes, midfielder Chris Birchall, and centre-back
Darren Purse. Other signings included left-back
Daniel Jones, centre-back Liam Chilvers, striker
Calvin Andrew, and midfielder
Sean McAllister. However, Vale slipped to five defeats in seven games, and Adams claimed that "idiots" in a "certain section of the crowd" were giving him "personal" abuse following the run of bad results and his decision to drop fan favourite Ryan Burge for disciplinary reasons. Vale managed to turn their form around and secure automatic promotion, finishing as the division's top-scorers as wingers Jennison Myrie-Williams and Ashley Vincent provided quality service to prolific striker Tom Pope throughout the campaign. In preparation for League One football, Adams signed winger
Kaid Mohamed to replace the departing Ashley Vincent. He also signed defenders
Chris Robertson and
Carl Dickinson, midfielders
Chris Lines and Anthony Griffith, and forward
Gavin Tomlin. On 22 September,
Rob Page was put in temporary charge of first-team affairs at Vale Park after Adams took the decision to take time off work to have
hip replacement surgery. The club overstretched itself financially, meaning that as they lay outside the play-offs in January Adams could only sign largely untried youngsters on loan whilst releasing higher paid players either on free transfers or loan. Their promotion push fell away, but they ended the season in ninth place – far exceeding their original aim of avoiding relegation. During this time he had to deal with issues such as sacking defender Daniel Jones for physically attacking captain Doug Loft during training, and had to deal with months of speculation over his future after chairman Norman Smurthwaite took until May before offering him a new one-year rolling contract. He signed the contract the following month. After eleven players left the club in 2014, Adams rebuilt for the
2014–15 campaign by signing left-sided player
Colin Daniel, Northern Ireland internationals
Ryan McGivern and
Michael O'Connor, pacey winger
Mark Marshall, Crewe Alexandra attacker
Byron Moore, veteran midfielder
Michael Brown, and midfielder
Steve Jennings, and also took in three loanees in Swiss full-back
Frédéric Veseli, highly rated striker
Jordan Slew and French target man
Achille Campion. Defeat to local rivals Crewe Alexandra marked the club's fifth consecutive loss, and after the game Adams accepted that his position would be under threat if results did not turn around quickly. Following six straight defeats Adams resigned as manager on 18 September after lengthy discussions with the chairman. The club would decline and suffer relegation after his departure, leading Adams to say in 2018 that: "I'm sad to see the Vale where they are. A couple of things about the Vale: To the players… liven yourselves up, and secondly, to Norman Smurthwaite, sell the club for God's sake."
Tranmere Rovers In October 2014, Adams was appointed manager of Tranmere Rovers, who at the time were bottom of the Football League. After overseeing an upturn of results that saw the club move eight points above bottom-place
Hartlepool United he was nominated for the League Two Manager of the Month award in December, with the judges saying that he "has instilled a calm belief at
Prenton Park that has won over players, supporters and directors alike". In the January transfer window he signed a number of players who had played for him at Port Vale, including Jennison Myrie-Williams (on loan), Steve Jennings,
Rob Taylor and
Lee Molyneux; these players joined Chris Shuker, who Adams had signed in October to work as a player-coach (Guy Madjo also had a brief spell at the club over Christmas). He left his position as manager of Tranmere Rovers by mutual consent on 19 April, with the club still bottom of the Football League with two games left to play of the
2014–15 season.
Sligo Rovers On 4 August 2015, Adams was appointed manager of
League of Ireland Premier Division side
Sligo Rovers, taking over from interim managers
Joseph N'Do and Gavin Dykes; he was charged with keeping the side in the Premier Division and performing well in the cup. Having accomplished his goal of steering the club away from relegation, he chose to leave the club at the end of
the season and return to England to be with his family. After returning to England, he set up his own football consultancy business, which led to him lecturing on the Wales FA pro-licence course and mentoring youth football in
Kyrgyzstan. In June 2017, he began coaching the under-18 side at
Harborough Town, a
United Counties League club local to his
Leicestershire home. ==Management style==