Ardmore High football coach Ken Adams said Wednesday that he was telling Tiger football players that he will not return next season, due to family circumstances.

Adams, who came to Ardmore last season after nine seasons at Calera High School, said a 2 1/2 hour driving distance between him and his son made this decision necessary.

“It’s not about the miles,” Adams said. “That part is no problem, but my son is 2 1/2 hours away. To see him I would have leave sometimes on Thursday night, but I knew it was going to be that way.

“Family is everything, and I’ve got to get somewhere closer. Over Christmas I got to spend some time with him, and I realized I’ve missed a lot of his life. It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to decide what’s best.”

Adams’ first Ardmore team struggled through a 0-10 official season after going 7-4 the previous season and earning the school’s first playoff berth since 1990.

Adams, however, felt the team made progress all season and feels next season that will be shown when the Tigers play.

“Next year it will be shown on the field,” Adams said. “When they guys take the field, you will see the improvement.

“We weren’t satisfied. We feel like we should have some games. We needed to learn how to finish a game, but that is a situation you learn from.”

Adams said he never intended to leave Ardmore so soon. Despite the winless record last season, Adams says that has no impact on his decision to not return.

“I don’t like going somewhere one year,” he said. “I was at my last school for nine years. There’s a process and a trust involved, and a lot things go into it.

“I hope they can find something that they got out of it and I think they will. I feel like we should have won five or six games. If we had been 10-0 today it would still be the same decision as the record we have. That doesn’t run me.”

Wish best to Ardmore high school.

One of Adam’s primary goals for the Ardmore team has been to develop more team strength, and he feels that this off-season the Tigers have made progress in that area.

“Before Christmas we had 60 or 70 kids working out,” Adams said. “It takes some time. We put up a strength chart after the season, and we have a few names reaching the goals.

“Before Christmas we had a couple of guys squatting 400 pounds, and a few guys benching 225 in just a few weeks.

“We’re finally starting to get them up there. It’s just a matter now of bringing in more and more team strength.”

Adams resignation will likely go before the school board at its Feb. 6 meeting.