Reports: Oregon targeting Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach

New Oregon head coach Dan Lanning continues to build his staff in Eugene, and his latest target is Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm for the same position, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, among others.

The Steelers have at least three games remaining on their schedule, so an agreement has yet to be made.

Klemm has extensive experience on the West Coast, as the California native was an assistant at UCLA from 2012-2016. He has been in Pittsburgh since leaving UCLA, serving as an assistant offensive line coach before the promotion to his current role this year. He began his coaching career at SMU in 2008, first as a graduate assistant before progressing to offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

Additionally, Klemm was a four-year starter for Hawaii and a second-round NFL Draft selection in 2000. He spent five years with the New England Patriots and won three Super Bowls and ended his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Pittsburgh offensive line overhaul is underway

Pittsburgh has gone through an revamping of its offensive line this season, and the results have been decent. Running back Najee Harris leads rookie backs with 891 yards this year, showing the line has improved and is able to open up holes for the first-year player. He also has six rushing scores plus 62 receptions for 405 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Harris struggled early, which negatively impacted the Steelers run statistics on the season. They are posting just 84.6 yards per game this season, which is 31st in the league. Pittsburgh had the worst run game in the NFL last year, averaging just 84.4 yards per game.

They rank 19th in the NFL in sacks allowed per game, with 2.4 each week through 15 weeks.

Lanning filling out other assistant roles

Klemm is the second NFL assistant reportedly in the conversation to head to Oregon, as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi is also rumored to be a coaching target for Oregon, though in what capacity is unclear. Lupoi was on staff at Alabama with Lanning in 2015; he was a defensive analyst while Lanning was a graduate assistant.

On the topic of defensive hires, Oregon had grabbed Tony Tuioti as their next defensive line coach on Wednesday, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports. Since 2019, Tuioti has been the defensive line coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. His previous stops include the Cal, Michigan, Hawaii and a short-stint in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.