WISE - UVA Wise mourns the passing of assistant men's and women's tennis coach Gary Adams. Adams served as an assistant coach for the men's and women's tennis programs for eight seasons.

"Our team, school, and community have lost one of the finest people I've ever known," said Head Women's Tennis Coach Danny Rowland. "Gary was not only my assistant coach but a lifelong friend."

Adams saw immediate success in his first season as a pair of student-athletes garnered all-conference accolades. Both programs also claimed two of the best team grade point averages for the 2013-14 academic year.

"Gary was a great person, good friend, and a tremendous coaching assistant," remarked Head Men's Tennis Coach Roger Whited. "We will mis him dearly."

In 2014 Adams was recognized as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II Atlantic Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year. The award recognized the outstanding accomplishments by one assistant men's tennis coach in each region as Adams was one of eight award recipients across NCAA Division II.

"We will honor his memory in the coming seasons so he will never be forgotten," said Coach Rowland. "Our prayers are for his wife, daughter, precious mother, sisters, and countless friends."

Adams saw eight student-athletes receive all-conference honors during his career and aided the tennis programs to five conference championship tournament appearances.

In his honor, family and friends have established the Gary Adams Tennis Bicentennial Scholarship through the UVA Wise Foundation. Gifts may be mailed to the Gary Adams Tennis Bicentennial Scholarship, c/o UVA Wise Foundation, 1 College Ave, Wise, Va. 24293.  Gifts may also be made in memory of Gary Adams online at www.uvawise.edu/giving.

Visit Adams' tribute page online here. To send flowers to the family, click here.