Indiana formally names Drew Adams as assistant coach; Darian DeVries shares his thoughts.

Indiana Basketball Officially Adds Drew Adams to Coaching Staff Under Darian DeVries

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University men’s basketball has officially announced the hiring of Drew Adams as an assistant coach on Darian DeVries’ staff, the program confirmed Wednesday morning.

Adams, a Bloomington native, has already been active in his new role for several weeks—recruiting and evaluating talent—but Wednesday’s announcement formalizes his position with the Hoosiers.

“Drew has been successful at every stop in his coaching journey,” DeVries said. “He has strong recruiting ties throughout Indiana and will work tirelessly to ensure we put the best product on the floor. He’s a highly respected young coach, and we’re thrilled to welcome him and his family back to Bloomington.”

Adams brings deep local and regional ties, as well as a wide range of collegiate coaching experience. He previously served at Indiana from 2009–2011 under then-head coach Tom Crean, first as Coordinator of Basketball Systems, then as Director of Basketball Operations. He also coached with Indiana Elite on the AAU circuit, reinforcing his long-standing ties to grassroots basketball in the region.

Adams began his full-time assistant coaching career under former IU star Steve Alford at New Mexico, spending four seasons with the Lobos. He then moved on to Bradley, where he played a key role in revitalizing the program. Across seven seasons, he helped the Braves capture back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference titles and reach the NCAA Tournament twice—Bradley’s first consecutive appearances since the 1950s.

Most recently, Adams spent two seasons at Cincinnati as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Wes Miller, helping lead the Bearcats to 41 wins and two postseason appearances.

A graduate of Bloomington High School South, Adams’ coaching résumé includes:

• Four seasons at New Mexico (99-36 overall), where he helped secure two regular-season conference titles and three Mountain West tournament championships.

• Seven seasons at Bradley, transforming a five-win team into a two-time MVC champion and NCAA Tournament participant.

• Top 50 Mid-Major Assistant Coach honors from Silver Waves Media in both 2020 and 2022.

• Ten all-conference players and seven MVC All-Freshman selections coached at Bradley.

• Experience as defensive coordinator during Bradley’s tournament runs.

Adams also has international recruiting experience, having traveled to Europe to scout talent. At Cincinnati, he was instrumental in landing international transfer portal additions Simas Lukosius and Aziz Bandaogo.

A former college player himself, Adams started at Florida Community College of Jacksonville—where he served as team captain—before transferring to Iowa and playing for Alford during the 2006–07 season. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Tennessee, helping the Volunteers reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and earn a No. 1 national ranking in 2007–08.

Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Tennessee and is married to Brooke Adams. The couple has four children: Quinn, Ava, Sloane, and Nolan.

He is expected to play a pivotal role in Indiana’s recruiting efforts, already leading the charge in pursuing potential 2025 starters Lamar Wilkerson, Tayton Conerway, and Reed Bailey.