Klenakis named offensive line coach

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chris Klenakis has been named to the Razorback football staff as an assistant coach for the offensive line University of Arkansas football head coach Bobby Petrino announced Friday. Klenakis has 19 years of Division I experience and comes to Arkansas from Nevada where he was at the helm of the "Pistol" offense that had prolific production and a powerful running game led by the offensive line for the last six seasons "I’ve been able to follow his impressive career since the beginning and Chris has an innovative offensive mind," said Petrino. "There are elements of the Pistol offense he ran at Nevada that are intriguing and blend well with our philosophy of being aggressive and attacking defenses in a number of ways. He was raised in the profession by Chris Ault, who is one of just a few active head coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. Chris Klenakis brings great energy and I know our offensive line will enjoy playing for him." In 2008, the Wolf Pack offense steamrolled over opposing defenses to the tune of a number of school records including total offense, most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. In 2009, Klenakis and the offense eclipsed all those marks and the Wolf Pack had the number one ranked rushing offense in the nation, averaging 344.9 yards per game. Nevada also became the first team in NCAA history to have three players rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. In addition, the Wolf Pack ranked second nationally in total offense (505.6) and sixth in scoring (38.2). In 2007, Nevada’s offensive line paved the way for the top rushing attack in the WAC and the 12th-best rushing offense in the nation at 214.1 yards per game. The group was paced by Luke Lippincott who led the WAC in rushing at 109.2 yards per game. As offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Klenakis has tutored 12 All-WAC selections. The group includes wide receiver Brandon Wimberly who was the 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year and a second-team honoree. Offensive lineman Alonzo Durham and running back Vai Taua were selected to the first team in 2009, while offensive lineman Kenneth Ackerman, tight end Virgil Green and quarterback Colin Kaepernck were also second-team choices. In 2008, Dominic Green was a first-team All-WAC honoree and Durham and Mike Gallett were second-team selections. Center Jimmy Wadhams was also named the team’s offensive MVP in 2006, while the Wolf Pack offensive line helped the team to rank 24th in the nation in rushing offense that year. Klenakis saw Tony Moll (first team) and Barrett Reznick (second team) earn All-WAC honors in 2005, and Nevada’s WAC co-championship team led the nation in time of possession and ranked eighth in the NCAA in third-down conversions that season. In 2004, his first year back at Nevada, Klenakis coached All-WAC performer and fellow Fallon native Harvey Dahl. Fourteen offensive linemen coached by Klenakis havegone on to the NFL. Prior to his most recent stint at Nevada as offensive coordinator, Klenakis held the responsibility for three years at Southern Mississippi (2000-02) and one at Central Missouri (2003). Klenakis helped Central Missouri finish the 2003 campaign with a record of 9-2 and a share of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title for the first time since 1988 with a 7-2 league mark. Central ranked second among all NCAA Division II schools in scoring offense (41.5 ppg) and was 25th in rushing offense. While at Southern Mississippi, he helped the Golden Eagles set eight offensive school records and advance to a pair of bowl games (the GMAC Mobile Bowl in 2000 and the Houston Bowl in 2002). From 1990-99, Klenakis was an assistant coach at Nevada, serving as offensive coordinator from 1997-99. Under his guidance, Nevada set 24 NCAA records and annually ranked among the national leaders in total offense, passing offense and scoring offense. Klenakis helped lead the Wolf Pack to Big Sky Conference titles in 1990 and 1991 and an NCAA I-AA national runner-up finish in 1990. He then helped lead the Wolf Pack to five Big West Championships, and to three Las Vegas Bowl appearances. Klenakis was a two-time Nevada High School Coach of the Year while leading Churchill County High to a three year record of 21-9. He 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 Master’s of Exercise Physiology at Nevada. He and his wife, Andrea, have a son (Nikos) and a daughter (Lucy).

CHRIS KLENAKIS PERSONAL INFORMATION

BORN:April 21, 1964

HOMETOWN:Fallon, Nev. EDUCATION:Bachelor’s, Physical Education and History, Carroll College 1986; Master’s Exercise Physiology, Nevada, 1992

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Four-year letterwinner as an outside linebacker at Carroll College

COACHING CAREER: Gabbs High School 1986, Churchill County High School 1987-89; Nevada 1990-99; Southern Mississippi 2000-02; Central Missouri 2003; Nevada 2004-2009

WIFE:Andrea

CHILDREN: Son: NikosDaughter: Lucy

BOWL GAME COACHING HISTORY:1992 Las Vegas, 1995 Las Vegas Bowl, 1996 Las Vegas Bowl, 2000 Mobile Alabama, 2002 Houston, 2005 Hawaii, 2006 MPC Computers, 2007 New Mexico, 2008 Humanitarian, 2009 Hawaii