Adrian Klemm. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Alabama reportedly hiring assistant coach with notable experience

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 7:58 PM ET

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer is reportedly making an assistant-coaching hire that could end up being an extremely interesting addition.

According to reports, DeBoer is poaching Adrian Klemm from the USC Trojans.

Klemm, a former NFL second-round draft pick, spent the 2025 season as an offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley. He played college football at Hawaii and played for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders over the span of seven seasons in the NFL.

Klemm was in New England from 2000 to 2004, and he won three Super Bowls with the Patriots.

According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Klemm is going to be Alabama's new offensive line coach.

Alabama is expected to hire USC’s Adrian Klemm as offensive line coach, sources tell me, @ByScarborough and @C_Morrissette.

Before USC, the former NFL starting offensive lineman was an offensive line coach for the New England Patriots, Oregon and the Pittsburgh Steelers. pic.twitter.com/xcFu1voL9N
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 26, 2026

Adrian Klemm has an intriguing history as an assistant coach

Early on in his coaching career, Klemm was an assistant at SMU and UCLA. He jumped to the NFL as an offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019 to 2021 before Dan Lanning brought him back to the college ranks with Oregon in 2022.

Klemm was the associate head coach, run game coordinator & offensive line coach under Lanning in Eugene in 2022 and then hopped back to the NFL, going back to New England to be the Patriots' offensive line coach in 2023.

He took a year off in 2024 after Bill Belichick and the Patriots parted ways, and Riley coaxed him back into coaching in 2025.

Klemm, from Inglewood, California, was a good fit at USC, but now it appears he'll be coaching in Tuscaloosa, and he could be an extremely valuable addition to DeBoer's staff.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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