Later in 2005, Adams joined Ross County as director of football. In 2007, Adams appointed his son (Derek Adams) as Ross County manager. The father and son pairing guided Ross County to the 2010 Scottish Cup Final, recording upset victories over Hibernian and Celtic en route. The pairing were split when Adams left Ross County to become assistant manager to Colin Calderwood at Hibernian, but were reunited again when Derek Adams returned as Ross County manager in 2011. Both father and son were sacked by Ross County in August 2014.