Rutgers Adds Defensive Mind Adam Cox as Safeties Coach
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers football continues to build out its defensive brain trust, announcing the hire of Adam Cox as the program’s new safeties coach. Cox arrives in Piscataway with a résumé that blends Big Ten pedigree, FCS success, and a clear knack for developing talent on the back end of a defense.
Cox most recently helped lead a dominant Drake defense in 2025, serving as defensive coordinator alongside current Rutgers assistant Joe Woodley. The Bulldogs didn’t just win the Pioneer Football League - they owned it.
Drake held league opponents to just 11 points per game and under 290 yards of total offense, numbers that put them at or near the top of the PFL. Nationally, they ranked sixth in both scoring defense and red zone defense, and cracked the top 30 in nearly every major defensive category, including sacks, passing defense, and rushing defense.
That unit was anchored by linebacker Sean Allison, who earned PFL Defensive Player of the Year honors and a Third Team All-America nod after averaging 10.5 tackles per game - good for sixth in the FCS. It was the kind of season that gets a coordinator noticed, and Rutgers wasted no time bringing Cox into the fold.
Before his success at Drake, Cox spent the 2024 season at Indiana State coaching safeties, where he mentored Maddix Blackwell into an honorable mention all-conference selection. But it’s his time at Iowa, his alma mater, that really shaped his defensive philosophy.
Cox was part of Phil Parker’s elite defensive staff from 2021 to 2023 - a stretch where the Hawkeyes consistently fielded one of the stingiest defenses in the country. In 2023 alone, Iowa won 10 games, claimed another Big Ten West title, and finished top-10 nationally in scoring defense, passing yards allowed, and total defense. That group featured standout defensive back Cooper DeJean, who earned Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year honors, was a unanimous All-American, and became a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round.
The numbers during Cox’s Iowa tenure speak for themselves. In 2022, the Hawkeyes finished top-12 nationally in seven different defensive categories, including second in both scoring and total defense.
And in 2021, they led the country with 25 interceptions, ranked third in takeaways, and finished top-20 in nearly every major defensive metric. That season ended with a 10-win campaign, a Big Ten West crown, and a Citrus Bowl appearance.
Cox’s coaching roots trace back to Central Michigan, where he worked with the secondary, special teams, and linebackers from 2018 to 2020. In 2019, the Chippewas won the MAC West and earned a trip to the New Mexico Bowl. It was a foundational stop in his coaching journey, giving him hands-on experience across multiple position groups.
Before stepping into coaching, Cox was a fullback at Iowa, where he earned a scholarship after walking on from Stillman Valley High School in Illinois. He played in every game during the Hawkeyes’ 2015 Big Ten West championship run, which ended in a Rose Bowl appearance. A member of the team’s Leadership Group and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Cox brought the same work ethic to the field that he now brings to the sideline.
Now, he brings that blend of Big Ten experience, FCS success, and player development chops to Rutgers - a program that’s steadily building a defensive identity under Greg Schiano. With Cox taking over the safeties room, the Scarlet Knights are adding a coach who knows what elite defense looks like - and how to build it from the ground up.
Coaching Timeline:
- 2026-present: Rutgers (Safeties Coach)
- 2025: Drake (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2024: Indiana State (Safeties Coach)
- 2021-2023: Iowa (Defensive Assistant)
- 2020: Central Michigan (Linebackers Coach)
- 2018-2019: Central Michigan (Secondary/Special Teams)
Personal:
- Hometown: Stillman Valley, Ill.
- Alma Mater: Iowa (2015, B.A. in Health and Human Physiology)
- Family: Wife, Kenzie; sons, JJ and Jake
Rutgers fans looking to track the team’s progress under Schiano and Cox can follow the program on social media for the latest updates. But make no mistake - this hire is about more than just Xs and Os. It’s about culture, consistency, and continuing to raise the bar for Rutgers football.