He was once an All-Mountain West LB. Now this coach is joining Boise State’s staff
Kelly Poppinga is coming back to the Mountain West, where his college football career began.
Boise State has hired Poppinga as co-special teams coordinator and edge coach, the university announced Friday morning. Poppinga — a former linebacker at Utah State and BYU — spent the past six years at Virginia, where he coached outside linebackers, was the special teams coordinator in 2016 and 2017, and was the co-defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021.
“Kelly brings a tremendous amount of experience coaching outside linebackers and special teams, something that will have a significant impact on this program,” Boise State football coach Andy Avalos said in a statement. “With that being said, I am more excited about who he is as a person and the impact he will have on building the young men in this program. We are extremely fortunate to be able to bring him to Boise, and I am excited for Bronco Nation to get to know him and his family.”
Poppinga replaces Stacy Collins, who left Boise State earlier this week to take over as special teams coordinator and coach outside linebackers and nickelbacks at Penn State.
Poppinga’s contract is expected to cover two years, according to the term sheet, which Boise State released Friday afternoon. Once the deal is finalized, he will make $220,000 in year one of the deal, and $240,000 in year two. Poppinga made about $350,000 in his final year at Virginia.
“My family and I are extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity Coach Avalos has given us,” Poppinga said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be part of this rich football tradition, and I look forward to helping Coach Avalos and this football program build upon the championship expectations that have been established here.”
Poppinga found himself out of work in December after former Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall stepped down. Virginia hired former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott as Mendenhall’s replacement, and he didn’t retain Poppinga.
Poppinga followed Mendenhall to Virginia after playing and coaching for him at BYU. He began his coaching career as an intern for the Cougars in 2009, and went on to coach linebackers and special teams there.
The 39-year-old native of Evanston, Wyoming, began his collegiate playing career at Utah State but transferred to BYU in 2005, which was Mendenhall’s first season as the Cougars’ head coach. Poppinga was an all-conference linebacker at BYU, and he helped the Cougars win Mountain West championships in 2006 and 2007, which was before Boise State joined the league.
The Broncos’ other new recent hire was Keith Bhonapha, who was brought in to coach running backs after Winston Venable stepped down. Bhonapha also will be co-special teams coordinator with Poppinga, a spokesperson for Boise State confirmed Friday morning. Collins was still on the staff when Bhonapha was hired last week.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 10:32 AM.
