Boise State loses an assistant coach to BYU, which is preparing to join the Big 12
Boise State edge coach and co-special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga is on the move after just one season on staff.
The 40-year-old native of Evanston, Wyoming, has left Boise State for a second stint at his alma mater, BYU. Poppinga will serve as special teams coordinator and defensive assistant coach for the Cougars, BYU announced on Wednesday morning.
“Kelly is a tireless worker and a relentless recruiter,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement. “He brings outstanding experience as a special teams coordinator and defensive coach and coordinator from his time at Virginia in the ACC and with Boise State. I’m excited to have him back at BYU.”
Poppinga was a linebacker at Utah State before transferring to BYU, where he earned All-Mountain West accolades. His football coaching career also began at BYU. He was a graduate assistant in 2010 and coached the Cougars’ linebackers and special teams from 2011 to 2015.
Poppinga joined the Broncos in January after six years at Virginia, where he worked under former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall.
At BYU, Poppinga coached a long list of NFL-bound linebackers, including Kyle Van Noy, Fred Warner, Sione Takitaki and Spencer Hadley. At Virginia, he mentored Chicago Bears linebacker Charles Snowden.
“I am so excited to work with Kelly,” new BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill said in a statement. “Having coached against him when he was a player, I saw his toughness and tenacity up close. As a coach, his players always performed great on game day.”
Poppinga is returning to his alma mater just as BYU prepares for its first season in the Big 12. The Cougars, who spent the past 12 years as an independent, will join the conference next year.
“BYU has a tradition of winning conference championships,” Poppinga said in a statement. “I look forward to doing my part to help this program compete and win Big 12 championships in the future.”
Poppinga just completed the first season of a two-year contract at Boise State. His base salary was $220,000 this year, and he was scheduled to make $240,000 next year.
FRISCO BOWL: BOISE STATE VS. NORTH TEXAS
When: Dec. 17, 7:15 p.m. MT
Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN
Records: Boise State 9-4, 8-1 MW; North Texas 7-6, 6-3 C-USA
Series: Boise State is 3-3 all-time against North Texas, but the programs haven’t played since 2000.
This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 11:03 AM.
