Keith Adkins Named New Mercer Basketball Head Coach
The Harrodsburg Herald/April Ellis
New Mercer Head Basketball Coach Jay Adkins addressed the media on Monday, May 1. Adkins’ most recent job was at Campbellsville High School. He brings over 20 seasons of collegiate coaching experience to the Titans.
Austin Cocanougher
Herald Contributor
On Monday night, May 1, Mercer County Senior High School announced the hiring of their new head basketball coach, Keith Adkins. Following a month-long search to fill the head coaching vacancy, the school feels confident that they have found the man for the job.
Adkins comes to Mercer after a brief stint with Campbellsville High School, where he tallied an overall record of 46-49. Before his time at Campbellsville, Adkins had stops at Lindsey Wilson (two years), Life University (two years), and Campbellsville University (16 years). Having coached at multiple levels of competitive basketball, Adkins brings a wealth of knowledge to Mercer County that uniquely positions him to amplify the on-court performance of the Mercer County Titans basketball program.
When introducing Adkins at the Monday evening press conference, Superintendent Jason Booher labeled Adkins as an “excellent basketball coach,” and a “flat-out winner.” Booher added that one part of Adkins’ resume that aided the administration in their decision was the fact that he “takes less talented teams, and still wins.” Spencer Tatum, principal at Mercer County Senior High School, reiterated this sentiment by saying, “He has the pedigree, he has the background, and he has the knowledge to make our program a success.”
After introductions were made, Adkins took the stage to thank the school for their warm welcome and gave a few remarks about himself, his family and the type of program he wants to run at Mercer County.
“Thank you for welcoming my family to this school system and to your community. It’s an honor and a privilege to lead this program,” he said.
He stressed that he, his wife and children are looking forward to “being an active part of this school system.”
Adkins went on to discuss some factors that led him in pursuing this position.
“I looked at the recent past of this program and see a regional championship and a Mr. Basketball,” he said. “I see a program that has everything it takes to be a consistent contender in the 12th region.”
Adkins made it clear that the potential for on-court success was important to him, as he cares deeply about building a winning program. However, he also made it clear that his values run deeper and perhaps the chief reason he knew the job would be a good fit was because throughout the interview process, “it became very obvious that athletics are important at Mercer, but even more obvious are that academics and character matter.”
After his brief introduction, Adkins shifted the focus on the future of Mercer Titans basketball, and his goals for the program. Adkins told the crowd, including several current players and their families in attendance, that he sees a lot of potential on the roster. His goal is to be a consistent competitor in the state and to help bring Mercer’s basketball program into the conversation for best in the region. In order to achieve this, Adkins included, “There is much to be done.” He explained developing a program starts with developing players, and that he looks to get “very involved” with the middle school program to make sure that happens from an early stage.
