Coach Jason Adams

Jason Adams

Jason Adams is entering his seventh year as head coach for the 2025-26 season. The Barons are members of the Allegheny Rugby Union (ARU) this season. The NSCRO has dissolved and the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has taken over in it's place. 

In 2024-25, the Barons made it to the ARU Championship in 15s once again. Slippery Rock just edged them to take the title. In the NCR Play-In Qualifier, the Barons lost a thriller in double overtime to Xavier. Four Barons earned ARU All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the season. The Barons held a 7-4 record in the spring 7s season to conclude the season.

The Barons had a very successful 2023-24 season, as they accumulated 27 wins between 15s and 7s. In the fall 15s season,The Barons fell to Slippery Rock by just three in the ARU Championship, but they moved onto to the NCR National Championship Tournament. There they beat Xavier before falling to #3 Wayne State in the Sweet 16. In the spring 7s season, the Barons earned third place in the ARU after beating Robert Morris 50-0. They qualified for the CRC 7's National Championship. After losing their first match, they won three straight to win the Bowl Championship. Individually, Vincent Prezzia was named NCR All-American to add to a very impressive list of players of the years

In the Fall 2022 season, Adams led the team to a 7-4 record and another birth in the NCR Regional in Saint Louis. The Barons also picked up a pair of wins in the preseason over Division I University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia. The Barons fell in the ARU Championship to Slippery Rock, but they were able to earn their way into the Regional by beating #18 Xavier in the Play-In Qualifier. Their run in the tournament came to an end with a loss to #2 Wayne State.

The 2021-22 season consisted of Franciscan playing a program record 37 times with the fall being 15's and the spring being 7's. Both teams made runs into the National Sweet 16. In the fall, John Thiabult dominated for the Barons, as he was named an NCA Small School All-American, as well as ARU Small College Player of the Year. Thiabualt is th e4th All-American in Franciscan history. 

The 2020-21 season was much abbreviated. The Barons only competitions came in New Orleans at the May 7s Madness. After a tough first round loss to ranked Iowa State, the Barons won three of their next four matches to earn 3rd place in the Survivor Bracket. 

Adams takes over as the next head coach for the Baron rugby team beginning in August of 2019. He led the Barons to a historic season in the fall by going 8-0 and earning a trip to the NSCRO Final four. First the Barons beat Robert Morris in the 3RRC Championship by a score of 31-12. This earned them a trip to Columbia, MO for the Midwest Regional Championship. The Barons defeated Xavier University 49-22 in the semifinals. They then defeated St. John's University (MN) 52-23 to earn a trip to the NSCRO Final Four in Moraga, CA. The spring season was cut short due to the COVID-19 virus, so the trip to the Final Four was canceled. Three players did receive NSCRO All-American status, David Prezzia, Josh Leatherby, and P.J. Ernst. 
 
Adams started playing rugby at Slippery Rock University in the 90s. Upon graduation, he played the Pittsburgh Highlanders (now Pittsburgh Forge) before moving to Las Vegas in 2003 to pursue a teaching career. Adams taught in Las Vegans for 15 years while playing for the Las Vegas Blackjacks. Adams was a part of several Division I Men's Club Final Four finishes before winning the DI National Championship in 2010. He then moved to Santa Rosa, CA where he continued to play for the Santa Rosa Men's Division II Club, helping the team make the DII Final Four in 2012, where they finished 3rd. 
 
Coach Adams retired to focus on family and his education career and moved back  to Las Vegas. He remained a teacher for five years and stayed involved in rugby with introducing the sport to youth and coaching school age kids. Following the birth of their third son, Adams and his family decided to move to Pittsburgh to receive better services and interventions for their youngest, who was born with severe to profound hearing loss (similar to Adams).
 
Adams served as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Forge Women's Club, and helped the club to an undefeated record in league play before a heartbreaking loss in the ARU Championship. 
 

Year by Year Results at Franciscan

Year Record Pct. Postseason
2024-25 12-8 .600 ARU Runner-Up
2023-24 27-9 .750 National Sweet 16 in 15s / CRC 7s Bowl Champions
Fall 2022 7-4 .636 National Sweet 16 in 15s
2021-22 17-20 .459 National Sweet 16 in 15s & 7s 
2020-21 3-2 .600 May 7's Madness
2019-20 11-0 1.000 NSCRO Final Four Qualifier*
Total 77-43 .642

* Canceled in Spring of 2022 due to COVID-19

Updated 5/28/25
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