Klayton Adams is in his second season with the Cardinals after being hired as the team's offensive line coach on 3/1/23. He came to Arizona after spending the previous four seasons (2019-22) with the Indianapolis Colts.
Adams coached tight ends his final two seasons (2021-22) with Indianapolis after working as the team's assistant offensive line coach for two years (2019-20). Prior to starting his NFL coaching career, Adams spent 14 seasons working at the collegiate level. Before coming to Arizona, he was hired as Stanford's offensive line coach and run game coordinator in December of 2022.
With the Cardinals last season, Adams helped Arizona finish the season 4th in the NFL in rushing yards (2,365) and 2nd in rushing average (5.02) while leading the league with four games of 200+ rushing yards. The 2023 season marked just the second time since 1970 – and first time in 44 years – the Cardinals finished a season ranked in the top-5 in the league in rushing yards (3rd in 1979). It was the fourth-most rushing yards in a single-season in Cardinals history and the second-best rushing average in team annals. The Cardinals led the NFL with 23 runs of 20+ yards last season, becoming one of only three teams to have at least 23 runs of 20+ yards in the last 10 years. First-round pick Paris Johnson Jr. started all 17 games at RT as a rookie and helped RB James Conner to his first-career 1,000-yard rushing season (1,040).
While in Indianapolis, Adams coached a Colts offense that ranked 2nd in rushing yards per game (194.4 avg) and 9th in points per game (26.5 avg) in 2021. His tight end group combined for 64 receptions for 724 yards and seven TDs that season, supplementing a Colts rushing attack that featured RB Jonathan Taylor who put together one of the best single-season performances in team history. Taylor led the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,171), rushing yards (1,811), rushing TDs (18), 100-yard rushing games (10) and first-down runs (107), tied for the league lead in total TDs (20) and ranked 2nd in total points (120) by a non-kicker. He set Colts franchise single-season records for rushing yards and rushing TDs and became the third player ever with a rushing TD in at least 11 consecutive games within a single season. Taylor also became the youngest player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards (2,171) and 20 scrimmage TDs (20) in a single season.
In 2020, Adams assisted a Colts offensive line that tied for the second-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL (21). Taylor became just the fifth rookie in franchise history to have 1,000 rushing yards (1,169 yards) and finished 3rd in the NFL in rushing that season. It was the first time since 2003-05 that the team had back-to-back seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher. G Quenton Nelson (first-team) and C Ryan Kelly (second-team) each earned All-Pro honors and were selected to the Pro Bowl. It was the second consecutive season Nelson and Kelly each made the Pro Bowl.
The Colts tied for the 9th-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL (32) and finished 7th in rushing (133.1 ypg) in 2019. It was the team's first top-10 finish in rushing since 2001. The Colts 4.52 yards per carry average was the fifth-highest single-season total in franchise history. Nelson and Kelly earned their first Pro Bowl selections, marking the first time since 2006 that two Colts offensive linemen made the Pro Bowl. RB Marlon Mack had 1,091 rushing yards, the 11th-best total in the NFL that season.
Prior to working in Indianapolis, Adams spent six seasons at Colorado where he was the team's co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach in 2018 after spending two seasons (2016-17) as the Buffaloes offensive line coach and three years (2013-15) coaching running backs/tight ends. He helped RB Phillip Lindsay become the first player in school history to have 1,000+ rushing yards in back-to-back seasons (1,474 in 2017 & 1,189 yards in 2016). In 2016, the Buffaloes offensive line posted its highest average per rush (4.1) in 10 seasons. As running backs coach in 2015, Colorado had six players rush for 200+ yards for the 4th time in program history and in 2014 four different players rushed for 300+ yards for the first time in school history.
Adams went to Colorado after coaching tight ends for two seasons (2011-12) at San Jose State and spending two seasons (2009-10) at Sacramento State. San Jose State TE Ryan Otten earned honorable mention All-American honors under Adams direction in 2012. At Sacramento State, Adams started as the team's offensive tackles/tight ends coach in 2009 prior to being promoted to offensive line coach in 2010.
He spent two seasons at Western Washington (2007-08) as run game coordinator/offensive line coach after starting his coaching career at his alma mater, Boise State, in 2005 as a student assistant and then as an offensive graduate assistant in 2006. The 2006 Broncos went 13-0 and defeated Oklahoma in overtime in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Adams played center at Boise State where he was a part of two WAC Championship teams (2003-04) that combined for a 24-2 record and finished in the top-15 each season. He earned second-team All-WAC honors as a senior in 2004. Adams graduated from Boise State with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Journalism. He and his wife, Stefani, have three daughters, Mya, Emmy and Harper.
