Mark Adams has been a high school boys basketball coach for the last 16 years. But he decided to step away from his post at Panther Creek this week, citing health and family issues.

Adams said he wants to spend more time with his sons, ages 9 and 12, and he will be needing time for both hip and knee surger and, after those surgeries, time to recover from from each. The hip surgery, needed to repair a torn labrum, has been put aside for about a year.

“I’ve been trying to postpone some things,” said Adams, who took over at Panther Creek two seasons ago. His Catamounts were 24-24 in two seasons, making a trip to the 2011 postseason. “You never think there’s going to be a right time, but this felt right for me.”

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to have coached at the high school level for as long as I have,” Adams said. “The timing was just right for me to step down and focus on being with the family and being healthy.”

Adams said he will stay at the school, where he teaches physical education, and he’ll continue coaching – but with different hours at a different location. He is the new executive director of basketball operations and player development at Hoops City U., a Durham-based AAU program with 25 teams spanning both genders and several age groups.

“It allows me the flexibility to be with my family and be healthy,” said Adams. “It’s a job that keeps me in the game of basketball, and doing what I love. I have a tremendous passion for the game.”

Prior to coming to Panther Creek, Adams was coaching in Florida. He had prior experience coaching in the Triangle as a former head coach at Cardinal Gibbons.