The Dallas Cowboys hired Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator on Brian Schottenheimer's innaugural coaching staff for the 2025 season.
Adams is a veteran coach with 19 years experience at the collegiate and NFL level and brings a strong foundation of run-game designs and blocking schemes with him to Dallas.
Adams spent the 2023-24 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals as the offensive line coach, helping design one of the most effective run games in the league and ressurecting the career of running back James Conner, who saw a career ressurgance with the Cardinals. Over those two years, Arizona ranked third in rushing offense (141.6 yards-per-game), second in rushing average (5.02 yards-per-carry) and led the league big-play rushing (10-plus yards on 15.4% of carries). The Cardinals recorded seven games with 200 yards on the ground during Adams' tenure - third behind only Balitmore (nine) and Philadelphia (eight) - and averaged a first down on 28.2% of rush attempts, the third-best mark league-wide.
In 2024 Arizona built off its smashing success from the previous season, recording the fourth-highest rushing total in franchise history (2,451 yards) and the highest rushing average ever by a Cardinals offense, averaging 5.29 yards-per-carry. Conner again led the team in rushing, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the second straight season and second time in his career. The Cardinals offensive front allowed only 30 sacks on the year, the fifth-fewest in the league.
James Conner recorded the first 1,000-yard season of his career in 2023 behind Adams' offensive line unit, and the season marked just the second time since 1970 - first time in 44 years - the Cardinals finished a season ranked in the top-five in the league in rushing yards, finishing fourth with 2,365 yards. Paris Johnson started all 17 games at right tackle as a rookie for the offense and helped the Cardinals lead the NFL with 23 runs of 20+ yards, joining Balitmore, Philadelphia and Minnesota as the only four teams to have at least 23 runs of 20+ yards in the last 10 years.
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).
Adams coached a Colts offense that finished second in rushing yards-per-game (194.4) and ninth in points-per-game (26.5) in 2021. His tight end group combined for 64 receptions for 724 yards and seven scores that season, supplementing a Colts rushing attack that featured 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 touchdowns (18), 100-yard rushing games (10) and first down runs (107) and ranked second in total points (120) by a non-kicker.
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) and finished third in the NFL in rushing. Quenton Nelson (first-team) and Ryan Kelly (second-team) each earned All-Pro honors and were selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year.
The Colts tied for the ninth-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL (32) and finished seventh in rushing (133.1 yards-per-game) in 2019. It was the team's first top-10 finish in rushing since 2001. Nelson and Kelly earned their first Pro Bowl selections, marking the first time since 2006 that two Colts offensive linemen made the Pro Bowl.
Prior to the NFL, 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 running back Phillip Lindsay become the first player in school history to have 1,000-plus rushing yards in back-to-back seasons (1,474 in 2017 and 1,189 in 2016).
Adams coached tight ends for two seasons (2011-12) at San Jose State, spent two seasons (2009-10) at Sacramento State 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 then as an offensive graduate assistant in 2006.
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. He earned second-team All-WAC honors as a senior in 2004.
He graduated from Boise State with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications. He and his wife, Stefani, have three daughters, Mya, Emmy and Harper.
