GLASSBORO–Derick “Ringo” Adamson has been named the first full-time head women’s cross country/track & field coach at Rowan University. The announcement was made today by Director of Athletics Dan Gilmore.

Adamson has been the part-time women's cross country and track & field coach at Rowan since 2007. In 2011, he led the Profs to their first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) cross country title since 1994. Adamson also guided Rowan to its first-ever indoor track & field crown in 2012-13.

The Profs won the 2012 NJAC Championship in outdoor track & field, their first since 1992. Overall, Adamson has steered Rowan to six conference titles (two cross country, two indoor track & field and two outdoor track & field), seven Collegiate Track Conference Championships (six cross country and one indoor track & field) and one Eastern College Athletic Conference crown (outdoor track & field). During the 2012-13 academic year, Rowan swept the NJAC titles in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field for the first time in program history. Adamson’s teams have competed at the NCAA Division III Championships 14 times, producing 19 All-Americans and one national champion (2014 indoor, Shailah Williams, 200 meters).

His student-athletes have set 39 school records and 193 have received NJAC All-Conference honors.

“I’m excited to have the ability to direct all my focus to the program,” said Adamson. “I look forward to improving recruiting and training. I’m sure that the energy level of the student-athletes will go up. They already have the will to win but having a full-time coach now will take it to another level.”
Adamson was selected the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 NJAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. He also received the 2013 and 2014 Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and the 2012 and 2013 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year awards. Adamson was chosen the 2012 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Region Head Coach of the Year.

“Ringo has proven himself as a part-time coach for us,” said Gilmore. “He’s won conference titles in all disciplines and is a great recruiter. We’re excited to have him as a full-time member of our athletic department. We believe that he can lead us towards a national championship.”

Prior to the University, Adamson served as the head coach for the girls’ cross country and track and field teams at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ. He led the cross country team to the 1998 and 2000 South Jersey Group III State Championships and he was selected the 1998 Coach of the Year. The track and field program won the 2006 Indoor National Championship in the shuttle hurdles. The outdoor team was crowned the 2004 and 2006 Group III State Champions. Adamson’s teams were Group III State Sectional Champions in outdoor track and field in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006. Woodrow Wilson took first place at the Group III State Indoor Relay Championships in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2006. Adamson earned New Jersey Indoor Track Coach of Year and South Jersey Coach of the Year honors in 1999-2000 and was chosen as the 2004 Courier Post Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 2004. In 2002 and 2005, Adamson collected South Jersey Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors.

Adamson was an assistant coach for the women’s cross country and track and field teams at Rowan from 1991-1994. During that time, the Profs won their first ever women’s Mid-East Region Cross Country Championship in 1994 and finished 11th at the national championships. Rowan captured the NJAC Cross Country Championship in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The women’s 4x100 meter relay took second place at the 1994 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. During Adamson’s tenure, 15 student-athletes received All-America honors.

In addition, Adamson was the head men’s cross country coach at Gloucester County College from 1983-1988. The Roadrunners collected six Region XIX Championships and qualified for the national championships five times. In 1988, Gloucester County finished 11th at the Junior College National Championships.

Adamson graduated from the University in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He was a four-time All-Conference runner for the Profs’ cross country and track and field teams from 1978-82. During that time, Adamson competed in the steeplechase and distance events, including the 800 and 10,000 meters. He took first place in the steeplechase at the 1980 NCAA Division III National Championships for All-America honors. Adamson went on to qualify for the 1980 Olympics in the steeplechase but was not added to the Jamaican team’s roster. He qualified in 1984 and 1988 in the marathon and participated in the Olympic Games for Jamaica.

Adamson is a three-time winner of the Philadelphia Marathon and seven-time Jamaican cross country champion. In 1990, he was inducted into the Rowan-Glassboro State Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, Adamson is also a member of the NCAA Division III Track and Field Hall of Fame. He received his master’s degree in education administration from Grand Canyon University in 2009.