A COACH WHO CARES UCLA'S ADAMS NEARS END OF TENURE BELOVED.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

Chad Concolino was living in Costa Rica, assuming his days as a baseball player and a UCLA student were finished. But when Concolino got an e-mail in the fall from Bruins coach Gary Adams asking the outfielder to return for his senior season, Concolino knew what he had to do.

``I came back for him,'' Concolino said. ``He's the reason that I'm here, I owe him so much.''

Being the winningest coach in UCLA baseball history and producing more major-leaguers than any other active coach helped Adams earn election to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. But it's Adams' emphasis on education and personal growth that has earned him a place in the hearts of players such as Concolino and is creating an outpouring of gratitude as his 30-year run as the Bruins head coach nears an end.

Adams will coach his final home game at 5 p.m. today against UC Irvine, the school where he began his coaching career. Players past and present have spent the season describing Adams as a father figure, an educator and someone who stuck to his principles throughout his career. But a victory over the Anteaters, who have spent most of the season nationally ranked, would be the ideal way to support the belief Adams deserves to be remembered as a winner on and off the field.

``He's always done what he believes is right and you can't have anything but respect for a guy like that,'' Bruins shortstop Ryan McCarthy said. ``We all want to win and get to the playoffs for him.''

Adams' unwavering priorities and method used to achieve them often drew criticism, which peaked before his announcement last year that this season would be his last. But more players than not embraced the philosophy, which became known as ``The Bruin Way'' and which the unexpected success of this year's team illustrates can also be a winning way.

UCLA, coming off back-to-back losing seasons and a preseason pick of conference coaches to finish seventh, is in third place in the Pacific-10 Conference and in good position for a postseason berth. The Bruins (29-24, 10-8) trail only nationally ranked Stanford and Washington in the conference that often sends as many as five teams to the NCAA playoffs.

``We're playing as hard as we can and trying to send him out on a good note,'' Concolino said. ``We all have respect for him and want to do this for him. This year, everyone's putting the team first. ... You have to respect someone like that who never jeopardized his integrity as a man. Some coaches will do anything to win. But he teaches you a lot about life. He's a true man, someone you want to play for and someone you want to win for.''

An inability to consistently win has been one of the biggest criticisms of Adams. He won back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in his final two years at UC Irvine before moving to his alma mater. But the 1997 Bruins are the only UCLA team Adams has taken to the College World Series. He has produced just two conference titles in the past 24 years.

Adams fires back with statistics such as the program's high graduation rate and the three Academic All-Americans he has coached.

``I've been criticized for not winning enough,'' said Adams, who has a 978-818-7 career record at UCLA. ``And there is something to be said for that, like maybe I should have won more and I could have won more. But not because I didn't try.

The fact that UCLA had a record 20 alumni in the major leagues in 1991, but only six of whom were drafted out of high school, exemplifies the fruits of such a system.

Former Dodger Eric Karros, who went from a Bruins walk-on to being one of two MLB Rookie of the Year winners Adams coached, is among the long list of success stories by players few others would give a chance.

``He allowed me to go out and play and learn the game,'' Karros said. ``He was somebody who provided a lot of guidance, but would allow you to make mistakes and figure it out for yourself. I think a lot of that helped me in my transition to pro ball.''

Adams has produced 38 major-leaguers, with dozens more of his former players currently in the minors.

``He'll be remembered for coaching some of the greatest ballplayers in college baseball,'' said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who retired Adams' uniform No. 13 during a tribute to the coach Sunday. ``There's a tremendous respect for Gary and what he's done. Gary's been a cornerstone of this program for many years.''

Adams is signed to remain with the Bruins next season in an undetermined role, facilitating the program's transition under a new coach. UCLA does not plan to begin interviewing for the position until the end of the season.

Seeing his Bruins last week upset Cal State Fullerton and win a conference series against Washington State in convincing fashion has Adams fired up about the team's prospects. But regardless of where UCLA ranks after its remaining two conference series, or how far the Bruins go in the postseason, Adams hopes to be remembered the same way.

``What I'd like to be known as for my legacy is that Coach Adams cared about his young men, the young men he taught. He cared about them as students, he cared about them as baseball players, but most of all he cared about them as people,'' Adams said. ``That is what I hope they remember me for.''

Heather Gripp, [phone]

heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Gary Adams, who is retiring as UCLA baseball coach after 30 years, will manage his final home game today. His players praise him for his integrity and teaching.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer