After Patriots Hall of Famer Dante Scarnecchia retired in 2020, New England experienced a series of changes in its offensive line coaching staff. Cole Popovich, Carmen Bricillo, and Matt Patricia all had stints in the role, but none of them could replicate the stability and success that Scarnecchia had provided.
Adrian Klemm, the inaugural draft pick of the Bill Belichick era as a former second-round selection by the Patriots in 2000, has taken on the challenge of filling the void left by the retirement of Scarnecchia. The Patriots made it official this offseason by hiring Klemm as their new offensive line coach.
During a May 18 episode of "6 Rings and Football Things," Scarnecchia expressed his belief and support in the newly hired Klemm.
"Adrian went into coaching right after he got done playing. I think he's had a really good career in college," Scarnecchia said. "I remember I went out to work out a player at UCLA, and Adrian was the offensive line coach. I sat at a distance and watched him coach the whole practice. He's a detailed guy. He's tough. He doesn't have much patience for guys that aren't working hard. I was really impressed with the way he went about his business."
Having a longstanding connection, Scarnecchia has been familiar with Klemm for quite some time. Klemm began his professional career in New England, spending his initial five years under Scarnecchia's guidance. During that time, Klemm served as a reserve tackle and guard, appearing in 26 games.
Patriots fans can draw confidence from Klemm's established familiarity with a Patriots legend like Scarnecchia, who was this Spring tabbed for the team's Hall of Fame.
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