William Joe Adams

William “Joe” Adams, 75, of Cleveland, TN passed away on August 19, 2022, after battling illness for the last several years. Joe was a longtime coach and educator at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, TN.

He is preceded in death by his parents J.B. “Ace” Adams and Mildred Adams.

He leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife of 27 years, Brenda Adams; children: Jody Adams of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Holly Marion (Ernest) of Maryville, Tennessee, Travis Adams (Elizabeth) of Cleveland, Tennessee; siblings: Donna Cagle (Bob) of Athens, Tennessee and Thomas “Buck” Adams (Larry) of Knoxville, Tennessee; stepchildren: Jimmy Gibby (Tiffany), Teresa Lawson, Sonia Jeffries (Gary), and Tonia Peacock (Kevin); grandchildren: William and Thomas Jarvis, Bradley, Bryson, Madison, McKenzie and Zachary Marion, Hank, Ellen, and James Adams, Jack and Sofia Gibby, Chandler White, Preston Lawson, Paige Gibby, Gabriella and John Peacock, Gunner and Casey Jeffries; great grandchildren: Zane, Juve, Hazel, Benjamin, and Ryder.

Adams was a standout baseball player, while also playing football, at McMinn County High School where he graduated in 1965. After graduating high school, Joe played baseball while attending Tennessee Tech and graduated in 1970 with his Masters of Education degree. He returned to McMinn County High School in 1971 and directed the Cherokees to two district titles in his two seasons there. He later returned to Cookeville to take over the high school program and continued to win, leading Cookeville to a state runner-up finish in 1974, the first of three-state runner-up finishes in his illustrious 22-year career.

Joe was hired as the Bradley Central head baseball coach in 1975 where he won 387 of the 501 games he coached and finished with a 474-132-1 record which earned him a spot in the Great Chattanooga and Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fames. With his son Travis starting at shortstop, the Bears won the state title in 1994 in his sixth and final appearance in the state tournament. Joe’s baseball #23 jersey is forever enshrined on the leftfield wall of the Toby McKenzie baseball complex a few yards to the right of “Joe Adams Squeezeway”. Joe was cherished and loved by his players, co-workers, friends and family.

His family will receive friends from 4pm until 7pm at First Baptist Church Cleveland on Monday August 22, 2022. His family will also receive friends from 3pm until 5pm on Tuesday August 23rd with a Celebration of Life Service to follow at 5pm at First Baptist Church of Cleveland.

You are invited to share a personal memory of Joe or your condolences with his family at his online memorial located at www.companionfunerals.com.