Quiet Giants : KC Adams
A Coach For All Seasons
By Mike Sanchez Photos by Mike Sanchez & KC Adams
“ I have been a coach , mentor and have had my own business for 40 years ,” KC said . “ My passion is to work with at-risk children and to be a mentor and positive adult figure to give them every opportunity to succeed in life .” His purpose is simple . “ I want to save lives and to provide a positive and safe environment for our community ’ s youth who wouldn ’ t have the opportunity otherwise .”
KC Adams , owner of Kutz and Colors Salon in Downtown Gilroy is a natural coach and mentor . He has dedicated over 40 years developing local athletes of all ages .
L
ovell KC Adams had a rough start carved out on the streets of Oakland , CA . From age 12 , he was raised at Rebekah ’ s Children ’ s Home in Gilroy . “ I was a messed-up kid when I got there . I was really damaged ,” KC recalled .
Finding some stability and a much safer environment at the Rebekah Children ’ s Home in Gilroy , KC started attending local schools and making friends . KC ’ s house parent exposed him and the other kids to the power of the ocean and nature , and how you can use that environment to recenter . He used the analogy of the waves to wash away the bad : nightmares , worries , stress ; and bring in the new : hope , goals , dreams . KC also learned the strength and power of the rocks to withstand the crashing waves and shifting sands . He made many trips to the beach to observe the phenomenon and absorbed the lessons he was being taught , which he still applies to this day . “ I find myself needing to drive over the hill to touch the sand and take in the ocean from time to time . It just helps me refocus and get centered . I love it there ,” KC shared .
While new to Gilroy and local schools , KC ’ s affable personality , humor and street smarts served him well . He made friends easily and earned the respect of his peers through sports . He excelled in football , basketball , and track at Gilroy high school and football and track at Gavilan College . At Gavilan he enrolled in the cosmetology program . He sailed through the program , earning his certificate , and began his 40-plus year career as a hairstylist . While working full time he soon opened and operated his own salon , and started coaching football and basketball . For KC , coaching is really a second full-time career , and his passion .
His early years of coaching were met with challenges — or consequences — of his days on the streets of Oakland . Though well liked and well respected by players , coaches , and parents , KC faced roadblocks during the hiring process . This happened time and time again with the City Parks and Recreation depratments and school districts . Letters of recommendation were written on his behalf , supporters attended meetings , and phone calls were made , all to no avail . KC finally landed an assistant coaching job at Gavilan College , and in 2002 was handpicked to be the athletic director , head football coach and head basketball coach at the newly formed Anchor Point Christian School .
He remembers walking the soon-to-be athletic fields with school founder Steve Malone . There was no grass and the fields needed leveling . Malone cast his vision and told KC , “ Imagine one day playing football out here .” To which KC replied , “ Imagine us winning a championship .”
With a very small student body , limited resources , yet armed with a vision of fielding athletic teams , KC , Malone , and school principal Steve White , went to work to make the vision a reality . By 2006 , the school fielded varsity football , basketball , and softball teams . In 2007 , The 8-man Anchor Point football team went undefeated in their first season of league play . That started a three-year run of undefeated league play . In 2009 they racked up a 9-0-1 record . They were ranked first in the Central Coast Section , and 14th in the State .
That kind of record from a startup program caused suspicion at the Central Coast Section level of the California Interscholastic League ( CIF ). At the end of the 2009 season , Anchor Point was brought before a committee to “ explain their success .” Principal Steve White went to discuss — and defend — their program to section officials . After all suspicion of cheating was absolved , the league officials determined that Anchor Point fit the criteria of the leagues designation of “ Model Program .”
KC recalled , “ We were just too good .”
In 2010 , KC was one of 13 coaches throughout California to be awarded the “ Model Coach Award ” by the California Interscho-
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