The University of Toronto Varsity Blues have hired Darrell Adams to be the 27th head coach in program history.
Adams has spent the past seven seasons as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Waterloo Warriors, helping the team to its first playoff win in 18 years and securing postseason berths in four of the last five seasons.
“Darrell has an extensive track record in coaching, both at the U SPORTS and professional levels,” director of intercollegiate athletics and high-performance sport Mary Beth Challoner said in a statement. “His commitment to performance management, personal development and team culture, along with his involvement in community outreach initiatives, set him apart as a leader both on and off the field. I have no doubt that our student-athletes will thrive under Darrell’s leadership.”
A native of Long Island, N.Y., Adams attended Villanova University and first arrived in Canada in 2007 after a brief practice roster stint with the New York Jets. He played three seasons at defensive tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, recording 60 tackles and 11 sacks in 27 career CFL games. He retired prior to the 2010 season and assumed the role of strength & conditioning coordinator and assistant defensive line coach with the team the following year, serving for two seasons.
Adams jumped to the collegiate ranks in 2013 with the Carleton Ravens, serving as defensive line coach and strength & conditioning coordinator until moving to Waterloo in 2017. He has also enjoyed guest coaching stints with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders, as well as participating in the inaugural CFL Diversity in Sport program as a training camp assistant with the Toronto Argonauts.
“I am blessed, humbled and beyond thrilled for the opportunity to be the head football coach at the University of Toronto,” Adams said as part of the announcement. “I look forward to adding another chapter in the school’s rich, diverse and prosperous history by assisting in the growth of the program in all areas: academically, athletically and in the community. By creating a multilayered culture founded on three core principles of respect, trust and love, my primary aim is to help student-athletes from various socio-economic backgrounds achieve their goals on and off the field. I will do everything in my power to ensure that student-athletes who commit to the University of Toronto graduate in a timely fashion, have a robust experience, are equipped with the tools to thrive in life and win as many football games possible. I cannot wait to get started.”
The Varsity Blues have been in search of a new head coach since parting ways with Greg Marshall in November. The team made the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns in 2021 and 2022 but suffered first-round exits on both occasions, before missing the postseason with a 2-6 finish in 2023.
