Adonis Blue may be young, and at 29, the youngest head football coach in Hudson County, but he’s certainly much wiser than his age.
Spend just a few minutes with the new head coach at Lincoln High School in Jersey City and you’ll come away with a handful of inspirational slogans and mottos.
"Stick with me and I’ll make you famous."
"You can’t control the past, but you can control the future."
"We can and we will."
That’s just a sampling of what Blue preaches to his players, as he begins the gigantic challenge of coaching a program that hasn’t reached the NJSIAA state playoffs in 15 years.
"I love a challenge," said Blue, who was a standout player at Marist, then William Paterson, before entering the coaching profession seven years ago. "I’m a challenge freak. I’ll take on anything. I have a dream and it’s now just a matter of living it."
Blue takes over a program that was coached in fine fashion by Tom Ferriero the last four years, but Ferriero ran into problems, like getting the players to come to practice regularly and dealing with discipline. Because of it, Ferriero resigned at the end of last season.
Blue, who was an assistant with Ferriero for the last three years at Lincoln and teaches at the school, recognizes the discipline factor and has made that his primary goal as he takes over the program.
"I think I want to keep practice as much fun and as interesting as possible, make it so the kids want to come to practice," Blue said. "I feel if they remain interested, they’ll want to come and want to learn. But the root of the problem in the past has been discipline and I’m a big advocate of discipline."
So Blue has set down a regimen of rules and regulations that the Lions must follow.
"I will not tolerate cursing on the field," Blue said. "I will not tolerate missing practice. There’s a price to pay if you don’t abide to the rules. Discipline is not punishment. Punishment is for little kids. Everything we do involves discipline, both on and off the field."
Blue, who played under great coaches like Jackie Moore and Gene Pagnozzi at Marist, and Gerry Gallagher at William Paterson, said that he has taken a little bit from each coach to make him the head coach he is.
"I learned a lot from those guys," Blue said. "Each of those guys was a great teacher. I coached with Gene at Marist for three years, so I learned a lot from him. I always wanted to be a part of the game after I was done playing and coaching is the closest I can get to taking the field. It’s something I love doing and it’s a part of me now."
Blue said that he doesn’t think his age will be a hindrance.
"My age is not a deterrent," Blue said. "I have a seasoned group of coaches around me, so they’re a big help. I just saw this as an opportunity to give back to the school where I work. It’s an honor for me to teach and coach in the same hallways where my parents and grandparents went to school. I grew up in the neighborhood. I know the kids and the system. It really fits like a glove."
Blue knows that Lincoln has always produced some talented players, including Anthony Green, who is currently in the New York Giants’ training camp, as well as Boston College’s Jerome Ledbetter and West Virginia’s Anthony Wilson.
"No one can ever question the talent of the kids walking the hallways of the school," Blue said. "There are a lot of [NCAA] Division I players in the school. There is some great all-around talent. It’s just a matter of keeping them focused and interested to get them to the next level. I always have hope that there are others. That’s why I tell them to stick with me and I’ll make you famous. I think they know what that means."
Blue said that he was hoping to get an opportunity to become a head coach, but he never thought it would come before his 30th birthday. Others assistant coaches spend decades before getting a shot to be the head man. Blue just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"I think I’ve grown and matured into the position, but let’s face it," Blue said. "When opportunity knocks, you have to come and answer the door. I just saw this opportunity as a great one for me. I love being with the kids, working with the kids, giving back to the community. I think this all fits very well."
Blue said that he plans on keeping the Lions’ offensive and defensive strategies as close to the vest as possible.
"Most of the successful programs in Hudson County all run the same things over and over, and they do it well," Blue said. "We want to keep it basic and simple, but we have to be able to execute. We’ll run some other things, but we’ll run the pro set and simplify everything. It’s a challenge, but I know I’m ready for it."
As long as Blue keeps brushing up on the interesting slogans and mottos and keeps the Lions focused and interested. If he’s able to do those things, then Adonis Blue – a man with a name like no other – should be successful. With a name like Adonis Blue, he deserves to be successful. – Jim Hague