Rio Adams

Rio Adams is an accomplished coach at all levels of college basketball. He has won an astounding 233 games while reaching nine NJCAA Tournaments.

Adams struggled to secure sufficient minutes under Bill Self during last season, due to being stuck deep on the depth chart behind senior guards Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford as well as rookie Ben McLemore.

Professional Career

Rio Adams has long been one of the top shot putters in New Zealand. She has won 15 national championships for shot putting, with her finest moment coming when she took home Olympic gold in 2014.

She has taken first place in 56 competitions throughout her career and been recognized with multiple titles – 56 overall and five world championships, two Track & Field News Athlete of the Year awards and Track & Field News Athlete of the Year honors.

Throughout her recruiting process, she frequently spoke to Rodrick Stewart – former Kansas point guard who helped lead them to win the 2008 National Championship – who provided invaluable advice during this decision process. It wasn’t an easy one though as other schools on the West Coast wanted her closer home – ultimately though she made her commitment and was named Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year.

Achievement and Honors

Rio Adams holds New Zealand national records in both shot put and hammer throw, earning silver medals at both the 2012 Summer Olympics (later upgraded to gold due to Nadzeya Astapchuk’s disqualification for doping) and 2016 World Championships in Athletics. She was honored five times with New Zealand’s leading female athlete award – The Lonsdale Cup.

She has won fifteen shot put national titles and four hammer throw national titles as well as thirteen Commonwealth Games medals, serving on the board of High Performance Sport New Zealand as an active board member.

Adams has served as an assistant coach on Chris Beard’s teams at Tech for five seasons, helping lead them to 112 wins and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His squad held opponents under 60 points on 59 occasions this season.

Personal Life

Rio Adams hails from a working class area of Leeds, England. While in school she studied business studies, PE, software development, and software testing before earning a BTec in sports science from Hopwood Hall College Rochdale. Later she trained under Alwyn Belcher – one of Britain’s premier boxing coaches who has trained numerous high profile fighters – before pursuing professional boxing at Hopwood Hall Academy of Rochdale.

Adams joined the New York Red Bulls academy and played on its under-13, under-14, and under-16 teams before transitioning to Red Bull II, their senior reserve squad.

This season, 6’3 guard Elijah Johnson struggled to gain significant minutes, particularly with freshman sensation Ben McLemore stealing most of the spotlight. Yet, despite this setback he managed to average 1.1 points per game and gain the interest of Kansas coaches.

Net Worth

Adam Adams amassed a fortune worth $50 Million during his playing career as a soccer legend, amassing multiple division titles, FA Cups and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups with Arsenal FC. Additionally he earned this wealth by being an integral member of England’s national team with 66 appearances before retiring in 2000. Adams founded Sporting Chance Clinic as an organization providing treatment, counselling and support services for athletes struggling with alcoholism or drug dependency – having Elton John among other celebrity patrons such as former Arsenal teammate Paul Merson as patrons.

Lyssa Kay Adams fell in love with romance novels when she read her first one in eighth grade and hasn’t looked back since! Now writing full time from home in Michigan with a trusty fluffy K9 assistant who enjoys napping on her desk during writing sessions, Lyssa writes her novels full time – as evidenced by a pesky yet fluffy K9 who often sleeps next to her!