Liberty has found its replacement for former offensive line coach Sam Gregg. According to multiple reports, the Flames have hired Chris Klenakis to fill the vacant offensive line position after Gregg went to Southern Miss as offensive coordinator.
Additionally, Liberty corner back coach Rickey Hunley has been named corners coach and defensive passing game coordinator at SMU. He will join former Liberty defensive coordinator Scott Symons who recently accepted the DC job at SMU.
Klenakis is currently a Quality Control Analyst at South Alabama which was the site of the 2021 Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Liberty defeated Eastern Michigan, 56-20, in the bowl game played on the campus of the Jaguars on Dec. 18.
Prior to his time at USA, Klenakis was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Florida A&M. He previously was an assistant coach at Louisville where he served as offensive line and tight ends coach. He was Louisville’s co-offensive coordinator in 2017 when Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy. He was put on administrative leave in August 2018 at Louisville after being arrest for driving under the influence. He pled guilty to charges of driving under the influence and was forced to pay fines and spent a short period of time in jail.
Klenakis spent two assistant coaching stints at Nevada, including one as offensive coordinator, and was a finalist for their head coaching job in 2013 when Brian Polian was hired. He has also coached at Southern Mississippi (2000-02), Central Missouri (2003), Arkansas (2010-12), Iowa State (2013) and Louisville (2013-18).
Joining new SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee and defensive coordinator Scott Symons, Hunley has also left Liberty to return to Texas where he previously was an assistant coach at Incarnate Word. Liberty has named defensive line coach Josh Aldridge and safeties coach Jack Curtis co-defensive coordinators. The Flames have not yet found replacements for Symons, who also coached the linebackers, or Hunley.
