The changes to the New England Patriots' coaching staff are still ongoing.
Oregon offensive line coach and assistant head coach Adrian Klemm is expected to leave his current post to join the Patriots as an assistant offensive coach, which will be an “offensive-line based role,” ESPN's Pete Thamel and Mike Reiss reported Monday. Klemm will receive a pay raise, Thamel added.
Klemm was actually Bill Belichick's first draft pick when he joined the Patriots in 2000, selecting him in the second round of the draft that year. After five seasons with the Patriots and a season with the Green Bay Packers, Klemm retired from playing in 2006 and became an offensive line coach at the college level. He was an offensive line coach for SMU and UCLA over eight seasons before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers to become their offensive line coach in 2019.
Klemm left the Steelers to join Oregon with two games remaining in Pittsburgh's 2021 season. He ended up having great success in his one season coaching the Ducks' offensive line as Oregon led the nation in the least sacks allowed, giving up only five sacks in 13 games.
New England's offensive line struggled for much of last season as the unit was being coached by Matt Patricia and Billy Yates. Mac Jones was sacked 34 times and ranked 21st in yards per carry (4.3).
He’s the former offensive line coach for the Steelers and has also coached at UCLA and SMU. Oregon finished No. 1 in all of college football in sacks allowed this year, giving up just five in 13 games.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 6, 2023
Klemm was originally interviewed to join the Patriots as their offensive coordinator in January. Bill O'Brien was hired for the role, but the team remained interested in Klemm, interviewing him to join the staff while they were in Las Vegas for the East-West Shrine Bowl last week.
Klemm's arrival in New England comes a day after it was reported that longtime tight ends coach Nick Caley was leaving for the same job with the Los Angeles Rams. Will Lawning, who coached tight ends when O'Brien was the head coach with the Houston Texans, is reportedly joining the Patriots' staff and is expected to take that role.
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