Cowboys hire offensive coordinator whose strength is OL, run-game philosophies
It may have been touch and go for a bit, but Dallas officially hired the last of the big three coordinators for new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimers’ staff. On Friday, a week after Schotty’s hire was announced, the team agreed to terms with Klayton Adams as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Adams had been the offensive line coach in Arizona for the past two seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon.
This will be the first time Adams will hold the offensive coordinator position in the NFL which began in 2019 as an assistant offensive line coach under then-Colts head coach Frank Reich.
The Cowboys new OC spent time with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus in Indianapolis, working together for three seasons before both moved on from the Colts after 2021.
Adams is renowned for his run-play designs, which helped Arizona go from a middling rushing team to a top-ten unit. The Cardinals ranked seventh in rushing yards per game this season and eighth in rushing touchdowns. Arizona averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a team which ranked second in the NFL just behind Baltimore who averaged 5.8 yards an attempt.
Dallas has publicly stated that they want someone who is outstanding in the running game and Adams’ credentials certainly qualify him for the position. While Adams will carry the title of OC, it is widely expected that Schottenheimer will call plays on offense, much like the hierarchy when Mike McCarthy was the head coach for the Cowboys.
The spotlight in Dallas has been known to be more exaggerated than most other NFL cities but Adams may have a leg up on other first-time Cowboys coaches. He graduated from Boise State in 2005 with a degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism.
Adams began his coaching career as a student assistant in 2005 with Boise State. He went on to coach at West Washington University in 2007 as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
He spent two seasons as an offensive assistant at Sacramento State and another two seasons with San Jose State before heading to Colorado in 2013 to coach the running backs and tight ends.
He became the Buffaloe’s offensive line coach in 2016 and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2018 before joining the Colts for the 2019 season.
