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Klayton Adams

Cowboys To Hire Klayton Adams As OC

January 31st, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Klayton Adams is indeed set to receive his first coordinator opportunity. The Cardinals’ offensive line coach is being hired by the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

Adams was listed as a strong candidate for the position when he first interviewed with Dallas earlier this week. A second, in-person meeting took place today, another sign that a hire was imminent. Immediately after it was reported the Cowboys were aiming to bring Adams into the fold, a deal has in fact been reached.

Dallas had Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator for each of the past two years, but in the wake of Mike McCarthy‘s departure he was promoted to head coach. Schottenheimer’s first HC opportunity will see him handle play-calling duties, but the Cowboys’ OC position will still be important with neither McCarthy nor former coordinator Kellen Moore at the helm.

Adams, 41, began his college coaching tenure in 2005. He spent considerable time as an O-line coach, but in 2018 he did serve as a co-offensive coordinator at Colorado. Immediately after that, Adams received his first NFL opportunity with the Colts. A four-year stretch in Indianapolis saw him work at first as an assistant offensive line coach before he handled tight ends coach responsibilities.

For the past two years, Adams has worked in his current role with Arizona. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has been complimentary of his work during that time, although Adams was not linked to any other coordinator openings for this year’s cycle. Now, he will head to Dallas in a bid to oversee a rebound on offense compared to last season.

Dallas ranked 17th in yards and 21st in points scored in 2024, a year in which a number of key injuries contributed to those figures. Having a healthy Dak Prescott will help the passing game in particular moving forward, but plenty of room for improvement exists on the ground. The Cowboys’ committee approach at running back did not go according to plan (even with Rico Dowdle enjoying a career year and surpassing 1,000 rushing yards). Finding better balance and efficiency will be a key goal for Adams upon arrival.

Schottenheimer has already brought in Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator while tapping Nick Sorensen to lead Dallas’ special teams. Adams is now in place for the OC role, and as such each of the top roles on the Cowboys’ staff have now been filled. Schottenheimer’s attention will now turn to position coaches as Adams prepares to handle coordinator duties at the pro level.

Cowboys Aiming To Hire Klayton Adams?

January 31st, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:07pm: While the list of known candidates for Dallas’ OC position has grown, Adams remains the name to watch closely. The Cowboys are “zeroing in on” Adams as their top choice, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. As coordinator dominoes continue to fall, it will be interesting to see if Dallas moves quickly in the wake of today’s in-person interview.

10:41am: A favorite has emerged regarding the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator interview. After only two known virtual interviews for the position took place, an in-person meeting has been arranged.

Dallas will speak again with Klayton Adams for the OC gig, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. This summit will take place today, he adds. If all goes well for the Cardinals’ offensive line coach, he may very well take over as the Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator.

Adams’ first interview took place earlier this week, and at that time he was labeled as a strong contender for the position. It thus comes as no surprise a follow-up has quickly been arranged. Former OC Brian Schottenheimer was promoted to head coach for the first time in his career, and he will call plays on offense in 2025. With Matt Eberflus back in the organization (this time as DC) and Nick Sorensen in place as special teams coordinator, most of the major moves for his first staff have already been made. That will be especially true once a new offensive coordinator is brought in.

Adams immediately transitioned to coaching after his playing career ended in 2004. He worked at his alma mater (Boise State) for two seasons before seeing time at four other college programs. That included six years at Colorado, the final one of which saw him handle co-offensive coordinator duties. The 41-year-old’s first NFL tenure came with the Colts (2019-22), where he worked with the team’s offensive linemen and tight ends.

For the past two years, Adams has worked with the Cardinals. Arizona has been strong in the running game over that time, something which has helped boost his stock regarding a potential coordinator gig. No other team has been connected to Adams during the 2025 hiring cycle, but a mutual interested clearly exists with the Cowboys. Dallas has also met with Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger in addition to being linked to Ken Dorsey. Other candidates could still emerge, but for now Adams appears to be in pole position.

Cowboys Conduct OC Interview With Cardinals’ Klayton Adams

January 29th, 2025 at 4:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

A second candidate has emerged for the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator position. Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams interviewed with Dallas yesterday, Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated reports.

Even though this is the first one he has been connected to, Orr adds that Adams can be classified as a “top candidate” for the Cowboys’ OC gig. He has yet to operate as a coordinator at the NFL level, although he does have experience as a co-OC dating back to his college tenure. For the past two years, Adams has held his current role in Arizona.

The 41-year-old’s stock has benefitted from his time with the Cardinals based on his success in guiding the team’s ground game. Arizona ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, in terms of rushing yards across the past two years. The Cowboys could certainly stand to benefit in that department moving forward, so it will be interesting to see if this summit leads to a serious pursuit on the team’s part.

Dallas had previously been linked to Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger for the OC position. ESPN’s Todd Archer notes his interview also took place recently as new head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks to fill out his first staff at the helm of the team. He handled offensive coordinator duties for each of the past two years, albeit in a non-play-calling capacity. Schottenheimer will call plays in 2025 regardless of who his first OC hire winds up being.

Dallas officially reunited with Matt Eberflus yesterday; the former Bears head coach will operate as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator during his second stint with the franchise. Nick Sorensen, meanwhile, was brought in to handle Dallas’ special teams shortly after it became clear he would not carry on with the 49ers moving forward. That leaves one coordinator vacancy to be filled in the near future, which could come in the form of a first OC stint for Adams.

2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

January 26th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, half the league changed up at offensive and defensive coordinator. As most HC-needy teams have now filled their open positions, the coordinator carousel will accelerate. Here is how the market looks now. When other teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-31-25 (10:01pm CT)

Offensive coordinators

Chicago Bears (Out: Chris Beatty)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Ken Dorsey)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Brian Schottenheimer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Ben Johnson)

  • John Morton, pass-game coordinator (Broncos): Hired

Houston Texans (Out: Bobby Slowik)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Press Taylor)

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Klint Kubiak)

New York Jets (Out: Nathaniel Hackett)

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Ryan Grubb)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Liam Coen)

Defensive coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Jimmy Lake)

Chicago Bears (Out: Eric Washington)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Lou Anarumo)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Mike Zimmer)

Detroit Lions (Out: Aaron Glenn)

  • Larry Foote, inside linebackers coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach (Lions): Promoted

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Gus Bradley)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

  • Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach/running game coordinator (Packers): Hired
  • Jonathan Cooley, pass-game coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
  • Patrick Graham, former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interviewed 1/27
  • Daronte Jones, defensive pass-game coordinator (Vikings): Interviewed 1/27
  • Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/28

Las Vegas Raiders 

New England Patriots (Out: DeMarcus Covington)

  • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/21
  • Terrell Williams, defensive line coach (Lions): Hired

New York Jets (Out: Jeff Ulbrich)

  • Chris Harris, former defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/29
  • Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator (49ers): To be hired

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Nick Sorensen)

Coaching Updates: Eagles, Cards, Broncos

February 20th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Following an impressive 2022 campaign that led to a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles have watched their coaching staff be picked apart as both former coordinators have accepted positions as head coaches elsewhere. It looks like two of the assistants that they’ve held onto so far may be leading candidates to replace their former coordinators, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Breer claims that it’s looking more and more like quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson will be staying in Philadelphia. The lauded assistant recently turned down an opportunity to join Frank Reich‘s new staff in Carolina, which Breer believes sets him up to succeed Shane Steichen as the Eagles’ next offensive coordinator.

Similarly, Philadelphia may be looking internally to replace Jonathan Gannon, as well. Originally, the team considered Vic Fangio and Jerod Mayo as top candidates, but with Fangio taking the coordinator job in Miami and Mayo looking more and more like Bill Belichick‘s protege in New England, they were forced to keep looking. Breer posits that passing-game coordinator Dennard Wilson should be considered a top candidate for the defensive coordinator job in Philadelphia.

Here are a few other updates to coaching staffs currently in flux amidst regime changes:

  • The Cardinals have started piecing their coaching staff together under Gannon. The team has hired Klayton Adams to serve as their offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Adams has history coaching multiple offensive positions in the college ranks and last served as the tight ends coach for the Colts after two years as the assistant offensive line coach. He had recently accepted the offensive line coaching position at Stanford but will spurn the Cardinal to coach for the Cardinals. Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers is reportedly being retained by Gannon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. No word on if Rodgers will retain both titles or solely serve as special teams coordinator. Lastly, the Cardinals had interviewed Commanders wide receivers coach Drew Terrell for their offensive coordinator position before hiring Drew Petzing to the position, but the team reportedly may still hire Terrell in a different role. According to Jeremy Folwer of ESPN, Terrell is considered a strong candidate to be hired as the pass-game coordinator in Arizona.
  • Yet another former Saints staffer will be joining Sean Payton in Denver. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Dan Dalrymple will be joining the Broncos‘ staff. Dalrymple previously served as the Saints head strength and conditioning coach for the past 16 years. On the other side of things, a former Broncos staffer is on the way out, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Following recent suspicions that Payton had his own person in mind for the job, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has opted to join Nathaniel Hackett in New York under the same title.

AFC South Rumors: Gannon, Caserio, Colts

December 16th, 2022 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Lovie Smith joins Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett as the first-year coaches on the shakiest ground. The Texans are 1-11-1, on pace to finish with a worse record than they did under Nick Caserio‘s first HC hire (David Culley). Smith following Culley as a one-and-done is on the radar, though the prospect of Caserio being allowed to hire a third coach in three years is also uncertain. If Caserio does fire Smith and is granted permission to stay on and hire another coach, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon will be back on the radar for the job.

Gannon was one of the Texans’ finalists for the Houston HC position this year, and Fowler adds Caserio was impressed by the then-rookie DC. The Texans bringing Gannon back into the finalist discussion might be more difficult in 2023, with Gannon’s Eagles defense making strides. This could well lead to more interested teams; Gannon already interviewed for three jobs (Houston, Denver, Minnesota) this year. The Texans did interview Josh McCown in back-to-back offseasons. Smith was not viewed as a finalist until the end of the process, leaving Gannon in Philly and McCown out of the league.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

  • Jim Irsay said last month he wanted Jeff Saturday to stay on as the Colts‘ next full-time HC. Saturday has said he will pursue that position, should Irsay want to interview him. While an interview seems a certainty, Irsay couched his Saturday support by saying there are “great candidates out there.” “I’m looking forward to the interview process,” Irsay said this week. “I think Jeff’s a candidate, but there’s a lot of great candidates out there. I think there’s a lot of great candidates in college. I think the pool needs to be broadened somewhat more. There’s some great college coaches that may be capable. There’s some unknown coaches that may be capable.” Saturday is 1-3 in his start as Indy’s interim coach.
  • In the event the Texans go the other way with Caserio, the Titans could be a landing spot for the longtime Bill Belichick right-hand man. A GM who spoke with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora indicated Tennessee would be an ideal fit for Caserio, given Vrabel’s Patriots background. Caserio was in New England’s front office during throughout Vrabel’s nine-season Pats tenure. Amy Adams Strunk said Vrabel will be included in the Titans’ next GM search process, and while it might look strange to see an exec who has overseen a woeful two-year stretch (Houston is 5-24-1 under Caserio) in the AFC South be considered for another top front office gig so soon, Vrabel’s presence will be important for how Tennessee proceeds.
  • Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae will hold more responsibility on Saturday’s staff going forward. The Colts‘ assistant offensive line coach will transition to the role of tight ends coach, Saturday said. Mawae will replace Klayton Adams, whom KCRA’s Michelle Dapper notes is leaving to become Stanford’s O-line coach (Twitter link). Adams will join new Cardinal HC Troy Taylor in Palo Alto. Adams, 39, coached at the college level for 14 years prior to joining Frank Reich‘s staff in 2019. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, Mawae is in his second season on the Colts’ staff.