Coach spotlight

Coach Lilley - Offensive Coordinator

Let’s start at the beginning – how did you discover football?

As a kid I used to love watching the highlights shows on Channel 4, and we had a Miami Dolphins mug in the house that I have no idea where it came from, so that’s where my support for them started. My older brother told me that there were university teams so that planted the idea in my head, and then I found them at freshers’ fair and off I went. And what attracted you to coaching football?

It’s the human chess aspect of it that really attracts me to coaching the game. The constant bluff and double bluff that goes on between the offence and defence to get an edge is fascinating. It also didn’t hurt that I absolutely loved being part of the team when at uni and wanted to keep going with that.

You’ve not been at the Giants your whole career, so what brought you to Sheffield?

I took a break from playing to rest some injuries and to not get hurt before my wedding. After that it was obvious that the Giants were the best option to give me the best level to play at.

How is this season going for you personally?

Realistically it was always going to take time for things to bed in this year. We probably only had 3 starters on offences that played the same position last year, and for the first part of the season it showed. I think it’s starting to click though, in our last game we showed that we were starting to get it which gives us a great foundation going forward.

This is your first year as a coach whilst not actively playing for the Giants. What’s that like?

To be honest, the amount I miss playing is less than the amount I’m happy not to be sore on Monday mornings. Our recruitment has been great, from less than 20 returning players we now consider any midweek practice with less than 35 to be a poor attendance. My fellow coaches have been great too, especially the guys on O who have been a great support to me. It really feels like we work together on both sides of the ball, competing fiercely in the right spirit at practice all year.

You also stepped down from your role at the University of Sheffield at the end of last season. How does adult ball compare to the university game?

In a lot of ways, it’s actually really similar. With the numbers we’ve recruited, especially from the two universities, we’ve been able to practice in much the same way. We’ve had the same classroom culture and great practice attendance which has been awesome. Obviously one big difference is that many of our players have more experience, which really helps when it comes to install and adjustments. Do you have any standout moments, as a player or a coach?

On the last day of the 2019 we needed at least a draw against the Merseyside Nighthawks to stay in the Premiership. We opened the game with a kick return touchdown, kicked a field goal in the last two minutes to tie the game 22-22 and then blocked a Merseyside field goal as time expired to keep us in the top division. What are your thoughts on the game against Chester today?

It’s going to be a great challenge! Obviously in the reverse fixture we didn’t give a good account of ourselves at all so getting the chance to put some things right is great. Obviously, it would be a monumental ask to turn around a 77 point deficit, but I think we have a chance if we can all trust each other and do our own jobs.

And what does Adam Lilley do when he’s not scheming up how to win a football game?

My two little girls keep me on my toes outside of football! Having people in your life that don’t care if you win or lose really helps to keep things in perspective when football gets stressful. Having said that they’ve been to quite a few games and have loved the atmosphere at Norton this year, they’ll jump at any chance to get noisy!

Finally, tell us something about you that fans of the Giants won’t know.

I once played against Martin Johnson (the England Rugby Captain) and got to cut block him, that was fun!

Name: Adam Lilley

Favourite NFL Team: Miami Dolphins

COACHING:

Role/Unit: Offensive Coordinator

Previous Clubs: University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham, Yorkshire Rams

Years Coaching: 18 (23 seasons)

Giants Coaching Debut: 2017

PLAYING:

Position: Offensive Line / Defensive Line. Mainly Centre.

Number: 59

Clubs: University of Sheffield, Newcastle University, Yorkshire Rams

Years Playing: 19 (22 seasons)

Giants Playing Debut: 2016 versus Merseyside Nighthawks