Patriots Reveal Reason For Assistant Coach Absence

New England Patriots offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was conspicuous by his absence when the contingent of Pats’ assistant coaches spoke with the media on Tuesday morning. Less than 24 hours later, the reason for his nonattendance was revealed by head coach Bill Belichick.

During his weekly meeting with media members on Wednesday, Belichick advised that Klemm “will be out for a little while,” noting that the coach’s absence was “health related.” 

Klemm was hired as the Patriots offensive line coach in February. The team had prioritized him as their first choice to take the reins of an offensive line that struggled mightily in 2022. Under the direction of former coach Matt Patricia, the unit was routinely plagued by injury and inconsistent play. Despite their improved performance under Klemm’s leadership, many of the same problems continue to plague the Pats o-line in 2023. 

For Klemm, a return to New England brought his football journey full-circle. After all, he was selected by the team in the second round (46th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft. As such, he will forever hold the distinction of becoming the organization’s first draft pick under Belichick. Klemm spent five years with the Patriots from 2000-04, appearing in 26 games with 10 starts as a member of three Super Bowl championship teams (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) during his time in New England.

In 2008, Klemm transitioned from the gridiron to the coaching sidelines. He spent three years at SMU, first as a graduate assistant, before taking on the duties as offensive line coach from 2009-11. He joined the coaching staff at UCLA in 2012, spending five seasons with the Bruins as run game coordinator and offensive line coach.