Playing Career
Kleinendorst played for Providence College for four years, from 1979-1980 to 1982–83, for Lou Lamoriello. He was selected in the fourth round (77th overall) of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, but never played in the NHL. He was a member of the Tulsa Oilers (CHL) team that suspended operations on February 16, 1984, playing only road games for final six weeks of 1983-84 season. Despite this adversity, the team went on to win the Adams Cup. In 1986-87 he played with Iserlohn (Germany) and Peliitat (Finland) teams, and then with the Rotterdam Pandas in the Netherlands during the 1987-88 season, and continued to play minor league hockey through 1990.
Kleinendorst was both general manager and head coach of the Manchester Storm of the UK Superleague from 1997–1998 to 1999–2000, where he was named Coach of the Year following the 1998–1999 season. Prior to taking a position with Manchester, he was director of hockey operations and head coach for the Raleigh IceCaps of the East Coast Hockey League from 1991–1994, and again from 1995–1997. During the 1994–1995 season he was the assistant coach and assistant general manager of the International Hockey League's San Diego Gulls.
Kleinendorst was with the New Jersey devils organization for nine years, where he coached the organization's Lowell Devils AHL affiliate from 2006–2007 to 2008–2009. On July 13, 2009 it was announced that former New Jersey Devils star John MacLean would replace Kleinendorst as the head coach of the Lowell Devils. Kleinendorst had been with the New Jersey Devils as a scout for the five years prior to assuming the Lowell devils head coaching position. He joined the organization in 2000–2001 as an assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils under Larry Robinson.
Kleinendorst was named head coach of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program's Under-18 team for the 2010 season, leading the team to a Gold Medal at the 2010 IIHF U-18 World Hockey Championship. When interviewed about taking the position with USA Hockey, Kleindorst stated "I could’ve stayed with New Jersey as a scout, but I had already done that. And when Jim Johannson called and asked me to think about this job, it was good timing These are high-school age players and I remember what my high school coaches meant to me. I know that the Development Program is one of the best programs anywhere and I’m intrigued by working with this age group." he replaced John Hynes, who took an assistant’s job with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins. He had previously served as Team USA's assistant coach during the 2008 IIHF World Hockey Championship.
On August 6, 2010 the Ottawa Senators signed Kleinendorst to a two year contract as head coach for their AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators. Kleinendorst replaces Don Nachbaur, who resigned as head coach following the 2009–10 Binghamton Senators season.
On September 25, 2012, Kleinendorst was named head coach at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
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