The USC Trojans kicked off their fall camp today bright and early under the beautiful California sunshine. The excitement is palpable, and why wouldn’t it be?
A bit of news broke while we were at practice that will bring even more excitement.
Head Coach Lincoln Riley confirmed the addition of coaching great Adrian Klemm to the staff. While his expertise is the offensive line, he will primarily be in a role helping out the defense, but Riley said they would utilize him in a number of roles.
Adrian Klemm is joining the USC Trojans staff. He will primarily work with the defense. Was most recently with the Patriots in the NFL. A fantastic addition for Lincoln Riley @LAFBNetwork
— Ryan Dyrud (@RyanDyrudLAFB) July 30, 2025
This is another home run hire for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans.
USC Trojans Hire Adrian Klemm In a Defensive/Utility Role
Adrian Klemm is a California kid, so this is definitely somewhat of a homecoming. He grew up in Inglewood, attended Saint Monica Catholic High School, and was teammates with everyone’s favorite Trojan, Director of Player Relations Gavin Morris, and former NFL star Marcellus Wiley.
A match made in heaven.
In terms of coaching, Klemm’s resume speaks for itself.
After playing on the offensive line in the NFL from 2000-2007, he got his coaching start at SMU.
In 2012, he joined the UCLA Bruins staff as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach. In 2014, he was given the additional title of Associate Head Coach. During his time with the Bruins, he was named the PAC-12 Recruiter of the Year by 247 Sports, helping Jim Mora lock down some of the top recruiting classes.
In 2019, he went to the NFL and became the assistant offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was promoted to full offensive line coach in 2021.
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In 2022, he went back to the college ranks and joined Dan Lanning at Oregon as the Ducks’ run game coordinator, offensive line coach, and Associate Head Coach. During his tenure in Eugene, the Ducks led the FBS in sacks allowed, only garnering five, and the running game was rated 12th best.
After one season with the Ducks, he returned to the team that drafted him, the New England Patriots, and served under Bill Belichick as the offensive line coach.
What will be interesting about this is, as Lincoln Riley alluded to, Klemm will be used on the defensive side of the ball. As of now, he is not an assistant or co-offensive line coach with Zach Hanson. However, Riley did stipulate that they would utilize him in a number of different roles, so he could do some coaching/analyst work on the offensive side in some capacity.
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Not only does Klemm bring a wealth of knowledge and recruiting prowess to the USC Trojans, but he also has a ton of connections in Southern California, which you can never have too many of.
Another fantastic hire for the USC Trojans as the season is just around the corner.