24 Facts About Adam Rita

Adam Rita has served as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and BC Lions and as general manager of the Lions and Argonauts.

Since leaving the CFL in 2012, Rita has been coaching American football in Europe.

From 1965 to 1968, Adam Rita attended Boise State University playing center for the Boise State Broncos.

In 1983, Adam Rita began his first professional coaching tenure as the offensive co-ordinator for the BC Lions under head coach Don Matthews.

In 1989, Adam Rita left the CFL to join the coaching staff of the UBC Thunderbirds of CIAU football.

In 1990, Adam Rita rejoined Matthews in Toronto as offensive coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts.

In 1991, after Matthews' departure, Adam Rita became a first time CFL head coach for the Argonauts with whom he won his first and only Grey Cup championship as a head coach in that same year.

In 1993, Adam Rita joined the Edmonton Eskimos as their offensive coordinator.

In 1994, Adam Rita became the head coach of the Ottawa Rough Riders.

In 1996, Adam Rita reunited with Matthews, rejoining the Argonauts as their offensive coordinator in 1996.

In 1997, Adam Rita joined the BC Lions as both their new head coach and general manager.

In 1998, Adam Rita relinquished his head coaching responsibilities halfway through the season, focusing exclusively on his general manager duties.

In 2002, after six games into the season, Adam Rita took over as their interim head coach.

In 2003, Adam Rita returned to the Toronto Argonauts as their offensive coordinator serving under head coach Pinball Clemons who he used to coach.

In 2004, Adam Rita was promoted to General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations of the Argonauts.

Adam Rita's contract was not renewed following the 2010 season and he was replaced by head coach Jim Barker.

In 2016, Adam Rita moved from Trinity College School to the "Football North" program at Clarkson Secondary School in Mississauga as their assistant coach and offensive coordinator.

Adam Rita discovered Europlayers which serves as a job website for European sports.

In 2020, Adam Rita was named as the new head coach for the Berlin Adler of the German Football League 2.

In 2021, Adam Rita was named as the first ever head coach for the Spanish-based team Gladiators Football, later rebranded as Barcelona Dragons, of the newly formed European League of Football.

In 2022, Adam Rita returned to the Bergamo Lions in Italy as head coach.

Adam Rita grew up on Kaua'i, Hawai'i and as a young boy, he was a member of a canoe club and appeared paddling a canoe in the wedding scene of the Elvis Presley movie Blue Hawaii.

Adam Rita is married to his wife Judit who is from Hungary.

Adam Rita has two sons, Kevin and Harrison, and two grandchildren, Seth and Jennifer.