| Sparky Adams | |
| Birth Date: | 26 August 1930 |
| Death Place: | Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Football |
| Player Years2: | 1951–1954 |
| Player Team2: | Lawrence |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years2: | 1960–1964 |
| Coach Team2: | Oconto Falls HS (WI) |
| Coach Years3: | 1969–1972 |
| Coach Team3: | Drake (assistant) |
| Coach Years4: | 1973–1977 |
| Coach Team4: | Chadron State |
| Coach Years5: | 1978–1981 |
| Coach Team5: | Bemidji State |
| Coach Years6: | 1982–1985 |
| Coach Team6: | Dubuque (assistant) |
| Coach Years7: | 1993–1998 |
| Coach Team7: | Carroll (WI) (assistant) |
| Coach Years8: | 1999 |
| Coach Team8: | Lawrence (assistant) |
| Coach Sport9: | Baseball |
| Coach Years10: | 1982–1985 |
| Coach Team10: | Dubuque |
| Admin Years1: | 1960–1969 |
| Admin Team1: | Dallas Cowboys (scout/part-time administrator) |
| Overall Record: | 3–53–1 (college football) 43–59 (college baseball) |
Richard A. "Sparky" Adams (August 26, 1930 – April 22, 2010) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska from 1973 to 1977 and at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota from 1978 to 1981, compiling a career college football coaching record of 3–53–1.[1] [2] Adams also served as the head baseball coach at the University of Dubuque from 1982 to 1985, tallying a mark of 43–59.[3] Early in his career, he was hired by Gil Brandt to be a scout and part-time assistant for the fledgling Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).[4]