Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach - Offensive Line
- Email:
- lufootball@liberty.edu
- Start Date:
- 01/12/2022
Chris Klenakis, a veteran coach at the FBS and Power 5 level, joins Liberty’s coaching staff as the Flames’ new offensive line coach.
Klenakis has also coached at Nevada (1990-99; 2004-09), Southern Mississippi (2000-02), Central Missouri (2003), Arkansas (2010-12), Iowa State (2013) and Louisville (2013-18). Klenakis served on the staff at South Alabama during the 2021 season as an offensive quality control assistant.
While at Louisville, Klenakis served as the Cardinals’ tight end and offensive line coach. He was part of the offensive coaching staff that helped quarterback Lamar Jackson win the 2016 Heisman Trophy.
In 2017, Klenakis saw his tight ends recorded 48 catches for 572 yards and five touchdowns.
Before taking over the tight ends, Klenakis served as the team's offensive line coach from 2013-16 and saw the Cardinals rush for 3,148 yards in 2016 -- the second-best total in school history. He tutored offensive tackle Geron Christian to a pair of all-conference seasons.
Taking over the offensive line in 2014, Klenakis had three players earn all-ACC honors and each made it on to NFL rosters. Jamon Brown, a second team all-ACC honoree, was a third-round pick of St. Louis, while John Miller, a third team all-conference performer, was also a third-pound selection of Buffalo. All-ACC honorable mention, Jake Smith signed a free-agent deal with Cincinnati.
Over the course of his coaching career, Klenakis has shown the ability to develop talent, tutoring 24 offensive linemen who have advanced to the NFL.
As offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, he has tutored 18 all-conference selections, including 2010 first-team All-SEC performer DeMarcus Love. Klenakis has coached in 13 bowl games and in two NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Before coming to Louisville, Klenakis spent one season at Iowa State. The Cyclones finished the 2013 season with the 10th-most points in school history and were one of the most efficient teams in the red zone, ranking No. 17 nationally.
Prior to his stint at Iowa State, Klenakis served as the offensive line coach for three seasons (2010-12) at Arkansas. The Razorbacks flourished with Klenakis directing the offensive line. The Razorbacks allowed the third fewest sacks in the SEC in 2012 and the pass offense was also third. Travis Swanson was named as an all-conference offensive lineman.
In 2010, the Razorbacks led the SEC in passing offense, scoring offense, and total offense in earning the school’s first-ever BCS appearance after finishing 10-2 overall. That season, the Razorbacks set records for passing yards (4,061), touchdown passes (34), and total yards (5,871).
Klenakis’ offensive line helped Arkansas set 16 program records in 2011. Arkansas led the SEC in passing offense (300.7), total offense (438.1), and scoring offense (36.8) to become just the fifth different school to lead the conference in all three categories in a single season and the first since Florida in 2001.
Before his successful stint at Arkansas, Klenakis served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Nevada for six seasons. Nevada’s 2005 WAC championship team led the nation in time of possession and ranked eighth in the NCAA in third-down conversions. In 2004, his first year at Nevada, he coached All-WAC performer and St. Louis Rams tackle Harvey Dahl.
At Nevada, he was at the helm of the “Pistol” offense that was prolifically productive, featuring a powerful running game led by the offensive line and, from 2007-09, current San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Klenakis was the first coordinator in NCAA Division I history to coach an offense that led the nation in rushing (2009) and passing (1997) during his career.
The Wolf Pack had three 1,000-yard rushers during their record-setting 2009 season, the only school in NCAA history to feature a trio of players to reach the 1,000-yard mark on the ground.
Prior to his stint as offensive coordinator at Nevada, he was offensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi (2000-02) and spent one year at Central Missouri (2003).
The former two-time Nevada High School Coach of the Year earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and history from Carroll College in 1986, where he was a four-year letterwinner as an outside linebacker. In 1992, he completed his masters of exercise physiology at Nevada.
