Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning announced the hiring of Adrian Klemm on Tuesday as the Ducks’ new associate head coach, offensive line coach, and run game coordinator.
Klemm is the fifth addition to Lanning’s inaugural staff at Oregon, joining offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge, cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, and defensive line coach Tony Tuioti.
“I am really excited that Adrian Klemm is joining us here at Oregon,” Lanning said.
“He is one of the very best offensive line coaches in the country and a great addition to this staff. Our student-athletes will benefit greatly from his extensive experience in the NFL, where he has spent the last three seasons as a coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a second-round draft pick and three-time Super Bowl champion as a player. His familiarity with the Pac-12 and working on the West Coast is also very valuable. Providing a tremendous experience for our student-athletes is always the top priority here at Oregon, and they are getting a terrific teacher and mentor in Coach Klemm. I am fired up to welcome Adrian and his sons, Jalen and Nikko, to the Oregon family.”
Klemm joined the Steelers ahead of the 2019 season and spent his first two years with the franchise as assistant offensive line coach before being promoted to offensive line coach for the 2021 season.
He started his coaching career at SMU in 2008, and spent five years working in the Pac-12 as an assistant coach at UCLA.
“I’m excited to be a part of Coach Lanning’s staff and the Oregon community,” Klemm said.
“I’m equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to return to college football, continue developing players, and building relationships with and mentoring young student-athletes. With my experience in the Pac-12, I am well aware of the history of success at Oregon and passion of its fan base. I am very appreciative of this tremendous opportunity and excited to be a part of this next chapter of Oregon Ducks football.”
Klemm has coached some of the game’s top offensive linemen during his time with the Steelers, helping David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey earn Pro Bowl selections in his first year with the organization.
Pittsburgh ranked ninth in the NFL in sacks allowed in 2019.
In 2020, Klemm assisted a Pittsburgh offensive line that allowed just 14 sacks, the fewest by any franchise in a single season since 1982 when sacks became an official stat.
The Steelers also enjoyed a five-game stretch without allowing a single sack, tying for the third-longest such streak since 1982. The stellar offensive line play helped Pittsburgh win the AFC North Division in 2020.
After being promoted to offensive line coach in 2021, Klemm’s unit paved the way for rookie running back Najee Harris to rush for 984 yards and six touchdowns in his first 15 NFL games.
Klemm worked at UCLA from 2012 to 2016, immediately elevating UCLA’s offensive line to be one of the best in the Pac-12. He was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator his first two seasons before adding the title of associate head coach ahead of the 2014 season.
During his five seasons in Westwood, Klemm coached eight offensive linemen to all-Pac-12 honors, and Xavier Su’a-Filo was a two-time all-American under Klemm’s tutelage.
Su’a-Filo went on to be the first pick of the second round in the 2014 NFL Draft, the highest at the time for a UCLA offensive lineman since Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden went No. 4 overall in 1996. Su’a-Filo won the Morris Trophy in 2013 as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12, and Klemm helped Alex Redmond earn first-team freshman all-America honors that same season.
Klemm also recruited and coached tackle Kolton Miller, who was taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Klemm currently has nine former players on NFL rosters.
Two of Klemm’s starters in 2016 earned all-Pac-12 honors, with center Scott Quessenberry landing on the first team and tackle Conor McDermott receiving second-team recognition for the second year in a row.
Klemm’s offensive line ranked first in the Pac-12 in 2015 with just 1.25 sacks allowed per game, which ranked 19th nationally.
UCLA’s 14 sacks allowed were the second-fewest in program history, and running back Paul Perkins became the first Bruin to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons behind a line that featured two all-conference players in McDermott and Jake Brendel.
Four UCLA offensive linemen earned all-Pac-12 accolades in 2014 while helping Perkins lead the league in rushing with 1,575 yards, the second-most in school history. In 2012, Klemm’s first season at UCLA, Klemm’s offensive line helped running back Johnathan Franklin set the single-season program rushing record with 1,734 yards.
In addition to coaching the Bruins offensive line to success, Klemm helped UCLA bring in several top recruiting classes. He was named the 2012 Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by 247 Sports, and he was tabbed as one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters in 2013 by Rivals.com after signing one of the nation’s top offensive line groups.
A University of Hawaii alum, Klemm started his coaching career in 2008 as a graduate assistant at SMU under his former college coach, June Jones. He was promoted to offensive line coach for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, and added the role of recruiting coordinator in 2011.
Klemm emerged as one of the nation’s top recruiters in his time at SMU, helping the Mustangs reel in the No. 50 class in the nation in 2011, the program’s best in the modern recruiting era. Klemm was promoted to recruiting coordinator after he was named the top non-BCS AQ Recruiter in the nation by Rivals.com after the 2010 season. He was also recognized by the outlet as one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation, and FoxSports/Scout.com named him the Conference USA Recruiter of the Year.
Several players developed into All Conference-USA players and NFL Draft picks under Klemm as SMU won back-to-back conference titles in 2009 and 2010. Josh LeRibeus and Kelvin Beachum were both taken in the 2012 NFL Draft after the 2011 SMU offensive line helped running back Zach Line rank seventh in the nation with 122.4 yards per game. Beachum ended up as a three-time all-Conference USA selection under Klemm, including back-to-back first-team selections in 2010 and 2011.
After a standout playing career at Hawaii, Klemm was taken with the 46th overall section by the New England Patriots. He went on to win three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, spending five of his seven NFL seasons in New England before playing two years with the Green Bay Packers.
Klemm earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College in 2008.