Junior Adams knows the task at hand with his new job as Western Kentucky’s offensive coordinator.

Adams is inheriting an offense that was one of the nation’s best in 2016. Now he’ll put his own imprint on that unit and try to keep up the recent results the Hilltoppers have achieved on that side of the ball.

“This offense, they were the highest scoring offense in the country last year,” Adams said, “so we’ve got some big shoes to fill.”

Adams coached wide receivers the last three years with Boise State, including in 2014 when new Tops coach Mike Sanford was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator. He’s been tabbed by Sanford to both direct WKU’s offense and coach the team’s receivers.

Adams spoke to local media Tuesday at E.A. Diddle Arena for the first time since he was hired for his new role. His comments came just hours after 2016 season statistics were finalized in the wake of Clemson’s national title win against Alabama.

The Hilltopper offense led or ranked highly in several national categories. Most notably, WKU led the 128-team FBS in scoring (637), points per game (45.5) and yards per play (7.65) under the direction of former coach Jeff Brohm.

One of the themes of Sanford’s hire was to “keep the train rolling” for a program that’s now enjoyed 23 wins over the last two seasons, two straight Conference USA titles and three consecutive bowl wins. Adams will have a similar charge with the offense he’ll direct.

“We’ve got a quarterback (Mike White), that’s where we start at,” Adams said. “We’ve got some good depth at wide receiver, so we’re excited to work with them.

“But back-to-back 10-win seasons, we know what we’re getting into. We’re excited about it. We’re accepting the challenge.”

Adams and Sanford developed their working relationship during that 2014 season at Boise State. The two young coaches – Sanford was then 32 and Adams was 35 – spent long hours each week working on the Broncos’ offensive game plans.

Boise State that season ranked No. 9 nationally in points per game (39.7) on its way to a Mountain West Conference championship, a Fiesta Bowl win against Arizona and a 12-2 record.

“I really don’t believe I’ve been around as good of a football mind, as good of a teacher and as good of a guy to be in the foxhole with from a game planning standpoint as Junior Adams,” Sanford said.

Adams has a history of working with successful programs. A former FCS All-American wide receiver at Montana State, his career took off from 2009-13 when he worked under Beau Baldwin at FCS power Eastern Washington.

Adams served as the Eagles’ wide receivers coach for five seasons. They won the 2010 national championship and made the national semifinals in two other seasons. He coached Cooper Kupp – winner of the 2015 Walter Payton Award as the FCS’ top player – to an All-American season as a freshman in 2013.

Adams enjoyed more success at Boise State, helping the Broncos to three bowl games in his three years. Under his direction, Thomas Sperbeck and Cedrick Wilson were one of just four receiver duos in the nation to both eclipse 1,000 yards.

While offensive coordinator will be Adams’ most prominent title, Sanford said he’s excited to also watch him perform in his role as wide receivers coach.

“I feel really good about both his ability to coordinate and his intellect because he’s gone through that process with me,” Sanford said. “But additionally this receiver corps, which is going to be young but has a lot of talent, will be developed by one of the two or three best receiver coaches in all of college football.”

Adams inherits a wide receivers group that graduates the two most productive wideouts in school history, Nicholas Norris and Taywan Taylor. Nacarius Fant, Lucky Jackson and Quin Jernighan are among the key returning receivers.

“I played (wide receiver) and I’m one of them,” Adams said. “I go to sleep as one, I wake up as one and I walk around as one. …

“Being in a room of 18-to-22-year-olds where they’re at a point in their life where you can help them develop and grow is the part that we like the most.”

WKU’s offense in 2017 will be based off what Boise State ran, Adams said. It’ll also have components of the Eastern Washington offense he worked in under Baldwin and the Notre Dame and Stanford systems that Sanford coached in as an assistant, Adams added.

Adams is a first-time offensive coordinator, but he’ll have three coaches who’ve led offenses at various points in their careers – Sanford and assistants Mike Sanford Sr. and Steve Spurrier Jr. – to work with on this staff.

Adams said he and the offensive staff are “accepting the challenge” that comes with taking over one of the nation’s best units and trying to build on that success.

“At Boise or at Eastern Washington we were averaging dang near 40 points per game,” Adams said. “I think they had some games here with 50 points. …

“We’re going to try to put as many points up on the board as we can. But at the end of the day we just want to win ballgames.”

– Follow sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twitter @BradBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.