Lynn Adams: Pioneer in women's athletics at Greenville University

Published: December 13, 2024

Author: Dave Bell

From the early 1970s to the early 1990s, Lynn (Simpson ’69) Adams coached several sports and taught a full load of classes at Greenville College. She didn’t set out to be known as anything other than a hard-working and caring coach and professor in those early years of women’s athletics.

But the accolades continue to follow her. More than three decades after she coached her last volleyball, softball, field hockey, and tennis contests in Greenville, she was invited to return to campus this fall to be the parade marshal for Homecoming.

“I’m very honored to be thought of as a pioneer,” said Adams, who never coached a losing season in any sport. “To be remembered for opening opportunities for women athletes is very meaningful to me. I was part of the beginning, and it’s flattering to be remembered after all these years.”

But don’t try to pin the “legend” label on her. She’ll deflect the praise and point to the accomplishments of others – for instance, her former GC coach, Phyllis Holmes ’61.

THE COACH’S COACH

“Phyllis was my hero,” Adams said. “She did so much as a coach here at Greenville and was very involved in national organizations and committees. She really put Greenville on the map in that era.”

The two first met at Biola University, a Christian school near Los Angeles, where Holmes was the basketball coach and Adams was a student-athlete, playing basketball and pursuing a degree in physical education. After working together for two years, Holmes moved to Greenville College (now University) to coach and teach. Adams followed her and finished the final year of her degree in December 1969. During that year, Adams participated in five sports – field hockey, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and softball.

“I wanted to experience as much as possible while I was at Greenville,” she said, “so I played all those sports in one year. I enjoyed every minute of the craziness and considered it a privilege to play with some great teammates. We practiced hard, played hard, and won more times than we lost. Our coaches taught us discipline, teamwork, and other life lessons that set us on our way to careers of service.”

FINDING HER NICHE IN COLLEGIATE COACHING

After teaching elementary school physical education at nearby Highland for a year, Adams attended Eastern Kentucky University, where she earned a master’s and developed the fencing program, yet another sport she’d picked up along the way. She returned to GC in 1972, assisting Holmes with basketball and coaching field hockey, volleyball, tennis, and softball. She also taught several physical education classes.

During the next two decades, Adams amassed a volleyball record of 440 wins and 257 losses and a softball record of 312 wins and 204 losses. Her career mark in volleyball wins stood until the fall of 2024 when current volleyball coach Tom Ackerman passed her.

“I enjoyed being in the classroom, but in 1992, after more than 20 years of coaching and teaching, I was burned out,” Adams said. She and her husband, Bryan, moved to Tulsa, Okla., where, as vice president of championship services for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), she oversaw 24 national championships each year.

Adams’ NAIA job ended in 1998. With her roots in California, she and her husband decided to head west to seek other opportunities. But when they drove through Phoenix, Ariz., they were captivated by the area’s beauty and climate. They decided to check it out, and 26 years later, they’re still there. During that time, she has managed a golf course, organized community golf tournaments, and – in a departure from her usual athletic endeavors – played ukulele and sang in a band that performs at senior centers. She retired in 2016 and now spends as much time as possible playing golf, entertaining seniors, and spending time with her four grandchildren.

PART OF THE GU LEGACY

During Adams’ visit to Greenville this fall, she was impressed with the historical information provided about GU athletes and teams via its recently installed Legacy of Women in Sport display in the lobby of H.J. Long Gymnasium.

“As I read those stories, I realized that many of those athletes have gone on to do amazing and meaningful things with their lives,” she said. “Those accomplishments are the real legacy of sports. Awards and accolades are fleeting and quickly forgotten. I want to know what those former athletes are doing in their lives and careers now. How are they leading and influencing people?”

Adams considers the GU athletic department’s mission statement – “to foster Christian character, athletic development, and academic achievement in a Christ-centered community” – as a good way to measure the spiritual impact she had on her athletes.

“Looking back, I still think about where our athletes are spiritually,” Adams said. “Did we talk about it enough? Did we give them a spiritual base that would sustain them as they went out into the world? If we, as coaches, played a part in shaping their character and instilling a vital faith, then all the work we put in on the court or on the field was worthwhile.”