New Alabama offensive line coach makes practice ‘feel like the pros’

Perhaps no Alabama position coach will have a role as crucial as the one that new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm has right now as the Crimson Tide are rebuilding up front this spring. 

Only one starter is returning from Alabama’s 2025 offensive line, and there are more than half a dozen transfers getting acclimated to the system and fighting for spots. The offensive line is a position group with a lot of eyeballs on it this spring because of the turnover up front and the uncertainty surrounding the run game in particular.

Klemm came to Alabama after the Crimson Tide fired Chris Kapilovic, and according to a returning starter, Klemm is creating the right kind of environment on the practice field this spring.     

On Thursday, Alabama right tackle Michael Carroll was asked how a Coach Klemm practice is different than what he’s used to.

“It kinda feels like the pros, like what the pros would be like,” Carroll said. “I really like his style of coaching.” 

The follow-up question asked Carroll to explain how it felt more like a pro-style practice, and he said it’s because of the way Klemm teaches things through the step-by-step breakdowns and thoroughly explains the how and why of different techniques. 

This may sound like a simple answer, but there is more to the story here.

Carroll did not play tackle in high school. He played left guard his junior year at IMG Academy, and he switched to right guard for his senior season. Carroll was moved to right tackle when he arrived at Alabama, and he played significant football at that position in some of the biggest games of the season. 

Klemm is a coach with NFL experience as he spent a season with the New England Patriots as the offensive line coach in 2023. Before that, he was the assistant offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019-20 before becoming the offensive line coach in 2021.

With all that being said, it is not a shocker that a guy with this type of experience is bringing a pro-style practice feel to the program, and it sounds like Carroll, a returning starter with only one season of experience at right tackle in his whole career, is soaking up all the knowledge he can from Klemm.

The reality is some coaches are not built to coach guys that lack prior understanding of a position, but according to Carroll, Klemm is doing a great job strengthening his understanding of the right tackle position.

Klemm received a glowing review from Carroll just a few practices into the spring, and it’ll be intriguing to see what Alabama will look like up front this year with a new offensive line coach.