USC Football Shakes Up Coaching Staff with Adrian Klemm’s Surprising Return—What It Means for the Season Ahead

Interestingly, Klemm will join the Trojans as a defensive analyst. His background, however, is on the offensive line. Klemm served as the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots in 2023, Oregon in 2022, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021.

Now, Klemm will get to experience the other side of the Crosstown Showdown. If his track record is any indication, he should certainly provide a boost to Lincoln Riley, Chad Bowden, and the Trojans on the recruiting trail.Klemm’s longest coaching stint came at UCLA, where he served as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator from 2012-2016. During his time in Westwood, Klemm established himself as one of the top recruiters on the West Coast.As the 2025 college football season edges closer—less than a month away, mind you—USC is still busy tinkering under the hood. The Trojans are shaking up their coaching deck once again, this time welcoming the seasoned Adrian Klemm aboard. Now, here’s the twist that caught me off guard: Klemm, a man with a resume steeped in offensive line expertise, steps in not as a typical position coach, but as a defensive analyst. The former Hawaii standout and NFL veteran brings a wealth of experience from stints with the New England Patriots, Oregon, Pittsburgh Steelers, and a notable stretch at UCLA where he earned a reputation as a recruitment ace. It’s fascinating to watch him flip the script—switching trenches, if you will—for a fresh challenge in the crosstown rivalry arena. If his track record is anything to go by, Lincoln Riley and Chad Bowden just added a serious weapon to their recruiting arsenal. Buckle up; this could be one of the sneakier moves USC pulls this fall. LEARN MORE

With just a month to go until the start of the 2025 season, USC football is still making additions to its coaching staff. On Wednesday, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that veteran offensive line coach Adrian Klemm is joining the Trojans’ staff. Sure enough, Klemm was present at the Trojans’ first practice of fall camp Wednesday morning.Klemm played offensive line at Hawaii in the late 1990s. He was a second round pick by the Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft (easily the most famous player that New England took in that draft), and played five of his six NFL seasons with the team.