James F. (“Ace”) Adams IV, former lacrosse coach for whom the lacrosse field at the University of Pennsylvania is named, died November 11 of pancreatic cancer at his Charlottesville, Virginia, home. He was 91.

Mr. Adams was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Catonsville. He graduated from St. Paul’s School in 1946, where he was a star varsity athlete, earning three letters in football and basketball, and four in lacrosse.

He went on to attend Johns Hopkins University, where he was an end and quarterback on the varsity football team, forward on the basketball team, and midfielder and co-captain for their three-time national championship lacrosse team. He was a three-time All-American lacrosse player. 

After graduating in 1950, he returned to St. Paul’s, where he taught in the classroom, was head coach of the lacrosse and football teams and served one year as athletic director. He left St. Paul’s in 1953 when he became an insurance salesman, but he continued playing club lacrosse and served as his team’s head coach in 1957. Mr. Adams was named head lacrosse coach at West Point in 1958. He led Army to four national titles and was awarded the F. Morris Touchstone Award as USILA Coach of the Year in 1961. He was president of the USILA 1963-1964 and served on numerous NCAA, USILA and Lacrosse Foundation committees. 

In 1970, Mr. Adams was appointed the 17th head lacrosse coach at Penn, where he coached for eight years. The Quakers went a combined 51-34 under Mr. Adams, and he led the team to its first two NCAA Championship appearances in 1975 and 1977. During his time at Penn he coached 17 All-Americans and was Penn’s fourth-winningest lacrosse coach since the program started in 1900. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1975.

In 1978, Mr. Adams was hired to be the head lacrosse coach at the University of Virginia, where he remained until retiring in 1992. At that time, he was second behind only Massachusetts’ Dick Garber in career wins.

In 2011, Penn named its lacrosse field at Penn Park the James F. “Ace” Adams Field, making it the first field named for a former Penn coach. 

“Coach Adams taught his student-athletes not only to excel on the field and in the classroom, but also to have a positive impact on the world at large,” said Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky, at its dedication.

He was also a member and a former elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville.

“Coach Adams was one of the great coaches and true gentlemen in our sport,” said James H. Greene, Jr. Head Coach of Men’s Lacrosse Mike Murphy. “Ace set the standard for our program which we strive to live up to every day. He was a great teacher, coach, mentor and friend to many. I am thankful for all he has done for the sport of lacrosse and for the Penn Lacrosse program. He will be missed, but his legacy will continue.”

Mr. Adams is survived by his wife, the former Betty Jane Sparks; daughters, Linda A. Martin, Sally C. Saxton, Helen Elizabeth “Beth” McGrath, Mary Jo Hill and Margaret Ann “Meg” Torres; 18 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A public celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.