Adrian Klemm - Senior Defensive Assistant - Football Support Staff

Adrian Klemm

Title:
Senior Defensive Assistant

With a vast array of NFL coaching experience, Adrian Klemm enters his first season as a senior defensive assistant for USC football.

Klemm most recently served as the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots in 2023 under head coach Bill Belichick.

Prior to the Patriots, Klemm was the associate head coach / offensive line coach / run game coordinator for the University of Oregon in 2022. The Ducks finished the 2022 season ranked No. 1 in all of college football in sacks allowed, giving up just 5 sacks in 13 games. The Ducks were ranked sixth in total offense, 10th in scoring offense, 12th in rushing offense and 17th in passing offense. Oregon ranked in the top 10 in first downs per game (26.8), red-zone touchdowns (46), plays over 10 yards (217) and yards per play (6.94). Klemm coached two 2022 All-American selections from the Duck offensive line and three of his offensive linemen went on to play in the NFL .

Klemm coached in the NFL as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ assistant offensive line coach from 2019-2020. He was promoted to offensive line coach prior to the 2021 season. The Steelers went 29-19-1 in his three seasons with the team, winning the AFC North division title in 2020.

Klemm’s offensive line paved the way for rookie running back Najee Harris to run for 1,200 yards in his first NFL season in 2021. The Steelers finished the season with a 9-7-1 record and reached the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Steelers won the AFC North in 2020 while allowing the fewest sacks in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s 14 sacks allowed were seven fewer than the next closest teams. Pittsburgh went 8-8 in 2019 despite having four different quarterbacks attempt passes during Klemm’s first season as an NFL coach. His offensive line ranked ninth in the NFL in sacks allowed.

Klemm served five years as the associate head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator for UCLA from 2012-17. During his time in Westwood, the Bruins broke multiple offensive records, including single-season passing yards (3,860 yards), rushing yards (2,860 yards), scoring (482 points) and total offense (6,531 yards). Running back Johnathan Franklin established new school records for most rushing yards by a player in a single-season, most all-purpose yards in a single-season and most 100-yard rushing games in a single-season.

In 2014, Klemm’s offensive line ranked first in the Pac-12 in fewest quarterback sacks allowed (1.25) in 2015, a mark which ranked 19th in the nation. UCLA’s 14 sacks allowed was the second-lowest in school history. The Bruins' steady offensive line allowed running back Paul Perkins to become the first Bruin running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back seasons.

In 2013, offensive lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo was awarded the Morris Trophy, presented to the top lineman in the Pac-12.

Klemm helped the Bruins sign one of the nation's top recruiting classes for 2012 and was named the Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by 24/7 Sports. He followed it up by signing in one of the nation's top offensive line groups in 2013 before being tabbed as one of the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com

Klemm began his coaching career under his former college coach, June Jones, at SMU as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2009-12. He emerged as one of the nation’s top recruiters, earning national recognition from multiple outlets after helping the Mustangs sign what was then their highest-ranked class.

In 2011, SMU featured the nation's seventh-leading rusher in running back Zach Line (122.4 yards per game). Two Mustang offensive linemen went on to be selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

In 2010, his offensive line helped SMU set school records in total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns and first downs, among others. The Mustangs finished the season with 1,494 rushing yards, the second-best single-season total in school history, trailing only SMU’s historic 1982 season starring leading rusher, Eric Dickerson.

Following the 2010 season, Klemm was named the top non-BCS AQ Recruiter in the nation by Rivals.com, and he was further recognized by the outlet as one of the Top 25 recruiters across the country. Additionally, FoxSports/Scout.com named him the Conference USA Recruiter of the Year.

In 2009, the productive SMU offensive line allowed the Mustangs to pass for a then-school record of 3,666 yards and produce the first collegiate 1,000-yard rusher under Jones, running back Shawnbrey McNeal.

Born and raised in Inglewood, Calif., Klemm attended St. Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, Calif.. As a collegiate player, Klemm was a four-year starter at the University of Hawaii (1996-99). As the left tackle for Jones during his senior season in 1999, he was a part of the biggest turnaround in NCAA history as Hawai'i improved from 0-12 to 9-4 and defeated Oregon State 23-17 in the Jeep O’ahu Bowl.

After a standout playing career at Hawai'i, Klemm was a second round selection (46th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots (2000-04) and Green Bay Packers (2005-06). While with the Patriots, Klemm was a three-time Super Bowl Champion, winning Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX.

He has two sons currently playing for Arizona State: Jalen, a redshirt junior offensive lineman, and Nikko, a redshirt freshman defensive back.