Legendary Oregon high school coach Barry Adams has passed away.

Oregon high school basketball coaching legend Barry Adams dies​

• Updated: Sep. 16, 2024, 11:34 a.m.
• |Published: Sep. 15, 2024, 2:45 p.m.

Barry Adams, photographed during his tenure coaching Glencoe High School in 1983 and 1984.Oregonian file

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By

• Nik Streng | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Oregon high school basketball community lost a legend this week, when Barry Adams died at 88.

Adams’ career of coaching basketball in Oregon spanned almost 40 years, compiling a 653-315 career record and two state championships. He is No. 8 in Oregon’s all-time coaching wins list.

Adams’ first job as an Oregon head basketball coach was in 1960 at Nestucca. He coached the Bobcats until 1967 before moving to Lebanon from 1967-1972.


After that, Adams coached Hillsboro from 1973-1981. He then moved to Glencoe, coaching the Crimson Tide in 1983-1984 and leading the team to the 1983 AAA state championship with a 50-40 win over South Salem.


Coincidentally enough, Adams then moved to South Salem and coached the Saxons from 1985-1999. He led South Salem to the 1996 4A state championship, a 53-39 win over Barlow.


His lengthy tenure as a basketball coach in Oregon also means that he was involved with mentoring many current Oregon coaches.


“Barry was so good to the many coaches he willingly mentored throughout his career and retirement,” wrote former Westview basketball coach, and former Oregon Basketball Coaches Association President Patrick Coons in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “You can attach his name to so many successful HS basketball coaches in the state.”


In 1998, Adams was inducted into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and he was honored in 1999 as the National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.


He was voted Oregon’s boys basketball coach of the year four times. He also coached football for 19 years in his career.


Adams was originally from Lake Oswego and went to Western Oregon University, where he played football, basketball, baseball and ran track. He was inducted into the Western Oregon University Hall of Fame in 2004.

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