New England Patriots Reveal Reason For Assistant Coach Absence

New England Patriots offensive line coach Adrian Klemm will be away from the team for a period of time while dealing with health related issues.

FOXBORO — 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.

New England Patriots Offensive Line Coach Adrian Klemm / Cred: ABC6 News, Providence, RI

Following a two-year hiatus, Klemm returned to coaching in 2019. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, first as assistant offensive line coach (from 2019-20) before taking over the lead duties in 2021. However, with only two games remaining on the 2021 regular-season schedule, he accepted an offer from the University of Oregon, to become their associate head coach, run-game coordinator and offensive line coach.

In Klemm’s absence, assistant offensive line coach Billy Yates will take over as the guiding voice. Yates has held the assistant role with the Patriots since 2021. The 43-year-old is no stranger to New England, having spent five seasons (2004-08) as a player. He played in 67 games and was a part of the Patriots during their Super Bowl XXXIX run.

Through their first nine games, the line has often struggled to provide consistent protection for quarterback Mac Jones, while also finding difficulty in blocking for their running game. Still, the unit has begun to find is stride recently, strating Trent Brown at left tackle, Cole Strange at left guard, David Andrews at center, Sidy Sow at right guard and Michael Onwenu at right tackle. Yates is liklet to continue using that lineup, with Conor McDermott playing a notable role — especially if Brown remains limited by both knee and ankle injuries. 

Meanwhile, the Patriots are set to travel to Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday for a Week 10 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts as a part of the NFL's International Series of games. Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET from Frankfurt Stadium. 

---