The Patriots could be making a second all-important hire to their coaching staff in short order.
Sources confirmed on Tuesday morning that the team had come to an agreement with Bill O'Brien to hire him as their offensive coordinator. Soon thereafter, it was reported by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer that Adrian Klemm -- who had interviewed for the offensive coordinator position in New England -- was meeting with the Patriots once again.
Klemm, who serves as the associate head coach, run-game coordinator and offensive line coach for University of Oregon, could be added as Bill Belichick's offensive line coach or run-game coordinator.
Matt Patricia held the title of Patriots offensive line coach in 2022, but he eventually relinquished the role to assistant Billy Yates early in the year. Patricia's future with the Patriots is uncertain, and there is a feeling among team staffers that he will not return to the club in 2023.
Klemm was Belichick's first-ever draft choice as head coach of the Patriots back in 2000. The second-rounder started 10 games in five seasons with the Patriots, missing significant amounts of time due to injury.
Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia remembered Klemm not so much as a future coach, but as someone who was passionate about the game.
"I didn't necessarily know [coaching] was something he would want to get into," Scarnecchia told NBC Sports Boston. "But I did know his dad (Leo Klemm) was a basketball coach in Indiana so I'm not surprised. I knew football was important to him. Unfortunately he dealt with a number of injuries when he was with us, but he was somebody who always fought to get back on the field."
Scarnecchia did get an opportunity to watch Klemm in action as a coach during a scouting trip out to UCLA, where Klemm was associate head coach (from 2014-16), offensive line coach and run-game coordinator (from 2012-16).
"I saw him there," Scarnecchia said, "and said to myself, 'This guy is tough. He's demanding. He communicates well.' He did a nice job with those guys."
That's high praise coming from Scarnecchia, who is viewed as one of the best assistant coaches in NFL history and established a reputation for being tough and demanding himself.
Patriots players could be getting a first-hand look at Klemm and his approach to coaching sometime soon, it seems. He was last in the NFL in 2021 in Pittsburgh as the Steelers' offensive line coach after working for two years under Mike Tomlin as an assistant to then-Steelers offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett.
