Avalos Hires Poppinga as EDGE Coach, Co-Special Teams Coordinator
1/7/2022 10:30:00 AM | Football
BOISE, Idaho – The Boise State football team has hired Kelly Poppinga (POP-ing-uh) to coach the Broncos' EDGE position and serve as co-special teams coordinator, head coach Andy Avalos announced Friday.
Poppinga spent the last six years at Virginia, including the last four as co-defensive coordinator. He also coached linebackers in 2021, worked with outside linebackers from 2016-20 and spent 2016-17 as special teams coordinator.
He also coached outside linebackers in each of his five seasons at BYU as a full-time assistant (2011-15), and served as special teams coordinator for the Cougars from 2013-15.
"Kelly brings a tremendous amount of experience coaching outside linebackers and special teams, something that will have a significant impact on this program," Avalos said. "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 helped lead Virginia to the school's first Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division title in 2019, and the Cavaliers' first appearance in the ACC Championship. UVA appeared in its first New Year's Six bowl game, the Orange Bowl, and finished ranked No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff Poll and No. 25 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll.
Virginia's three-straight bowl appearances from 2017-19 marked the longest streak since going to four-straight from 2002-05.
"My family and I are extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity Coach Avalos has given us," Poppinga said. "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."
This past season, Cavaliers linebacker Nick Jackson recorded 117 tackles (54 solo), leading the ACC and ranking 14th nationally at 9.8 tackles per game. In 2020, under Poppinga's guidance, outside linebacker Charles Snowden led ACC linebackers with 0.75 sacks per game and ranked 13th nationally amongst linebackers in sacks (6.0), despite missing the final three games of the season. Snowden's 10.0 tackles-for-loss also ranked 15th nationally among linebackers.
In 2019, the Cavaliers ranked sixth nationally in sacks while establishing a school record in the statistical category. Of the team's 46 sacks, 27 came from linebackers, including 13.5 from outside linebackers. UVA also finished No. 22 in the nation in tackles-for-loss that year, led by outside linebacker Noah Taylor's 13.5. Taylor also had seven sacks, finishing No. 2 on the team and No. 2 in the ACC among linebackers.
In 2018, Poppinga's outside linebackers were key in helping UVA finish No. 12 in the nation in team pass efficiency defense (107.62), No. 16 in passing yards allowed (183.0), No. 20 in total defense (330.5) and No. 20 in scoring defense (20.1). UVA's 28-0 victory over South Carolina in the 2018 Belk Bowl marked the first time an SEC team was shut out in a bowl by a non-SEC team since the 1975 Gator Bowl. Snowden led the nation's linebackers with nine pass breakups and 11 passes defended, while Chris Peace concluded his senior season No. 1 in the ACC among linebackers with 7.5 sacks, the second year in a row he accomplished the feat.
Poppinga spent two seasons as the Cavaliers' special teams coordinator, boasting the ACC's top kick return specialist in 2017 and a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2016. In 2017, Joe Reed led the ACC at 29.7 yards per kick return – a mark that also ranked eighth nationally – and became the first Cavalier in school history to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns. In 2016, Nicholas Conte was named first-team All-ACC with a 44.3 yards per punt average. Conte led the nation with 34 punts inside the 20 and with 15 punts inside the 10 during the regular season, while six of his punts were downed at the one.
Poppinga began his collegiate coaching career at BYU as a defensive intern in 2009 before becoming a graduate assistant in 2010. His first full-time position came in 2011 when he was elevated to outside linebackers coach for the Cougars.
Poppinga helped outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Alani Fua advance to the NFL, with Van Noy being selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and Fua earning a spot with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015.
In 2014, Poppinga helped lead the Cougars to a final ranking of No. 20 nationally in rush defense, and the unit finished the 2015 regular season ranked No. 6 nationally in sacks per game and No. 15 in tackles-for-loss. Under Poppinga, BYU's special teams also ranked No. 7 in punting average and No. 19 in kick return coverage in 2014. The Cougars finished third nationally in total defense in 2012, and ranked in the top 10 in six different defensive categories.
As a player, Poppinga was an All-Mountain West linebacker and Academic All-MW honoree at BYU while helping the Cougars win back-to-back conference championships in 2006 and 2007. He transferred to BYU from Utah State, where he spent the 2003-04 seasons. Poppinga helped BYU to Las Vegas Bowl wins over Oregon and UCLA, and led the team with 113 tackles his senior season. He spent the 2008 season with three NFL teams before going to Super Bowl XLIII with the Arizona Cardinals.
A native of Evanston, Wyo., Poppinga earned his bachelor's (2007) and master's (2010) degrees from BYU in exercise science. Poppinga and his wife, Rebekah, have four daughters.
Poppinga spent the last six years at Virginia, including the last four as co-defensive coordinator. He also coached linebackers in 2021, worked with outside linebackers from 2016-20 and spent 2016-17 as special teams coordinator.
He also coached outside linebackers in each of his five seasons at BYU as a full-time assistant (2011-15), and served as special teams coordinator for the Cougars from 2013-15.
"Kelly brings a tremendous amount of experience coaching outside linebackers and special teams, something that will have a significant impact on this program," Avalos said. "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 helped lead Virginia to the school's first Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division title in 2019, and the Cavaliers' first appearance in the ACC Championship. UVA appeared in its first New Year's Six bowl game, the Orange Bowl, and finished ranked No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff Poll and No. 25 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll.
Virginia's three-straight bowl appearances from 2017-19 marked the longest streak since going to four-straight from 2002-05.
"My family and I are extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity Coach Avalos has given us," Poppinga said. "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."
This past season, Cavaliers linebacker Nick Jackson recorded 117 tackles (54 solo), leading the ACC and ranking 14th nationally at 9.8 tackles per game. In 2020, under Poppinga's guidance, outside linebacker Charles Snowden led ACC linebackers with 0.75 sacks per game and ranked 13th nationally amongst linebackers in sacks (6.0), despite missing the final three games of the season. Snowden's 10.0 tackles-for-loss also ranked 15th nationally among linebackers.
In 2019, the Cavaliers ranked sixth nationally in sacks while establishing a school record in the statistical category. Of the team's 46 sacks, 27 came from linebackers, including 13.5 from outside linebackers. UVA also finished No. 22 in the nation in tackles-for-loss that year, led by outside linebacker Noah Taylor's 13.5. Taylor also had seven sacks, finishing No. 2 on the team and No. 2 in the ACC among linebackers.
In 2018, Poppinga's outside linebackers were key in helping UVA finish No. 12 in the nation in team pass efficiency defense (107.62), No. 16 in passing yards allowed (183.0), No. 20 in total defense (330.5) and No. 20 in scoring defense (20.1). UVA's 28-0 victory over South Carolina in the 2018 Belk Bowl marked the first time an SEC team was shut out in a bowl by a non-SEC team since the 1975 Gator Bowl. Snowden led the nation's linebackers with nine pass breakups and 11 passes defended, while Chris Peace concluded his senior season No. 1 in the ACC among linebackers with 7.5 sacks, the second year in a row he accomplished the feat.
Poppinga spent two seasons as the Cavaliers' special teams coordinator, boasting the ACC's top kick return specialist in 2017 and a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2016. In 2017, Joe Reed led the ACC at 29.7 yards per kick return – a mark that also ranked eighth nationally – and became the first Cavalier in school history to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns. In 2016, Nicholas Conte was named first-team All-ACC with a 44.3 yards per punt average. Conte led the nation with 34 punts inside the 20 and with 15 punts inside the 10 during the regular season, while six of his punts were downed at the one.
Poppinga began his collegiate coaching career at BYU as a defensive intern in 2009 before becoming a graduate assistant in 2010. His first full-time position came in 2011 when he was elevated to outside linebackers coach for the Cougars.
Poppinga helped outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Alani Fua advance to the NFL, with Van Noy being selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and Fua earning a spot with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015.
In 2014, Poppinga helped lead the Cougars to a final ranking of No. 20 nationally in rush defense, and the unit finished the 2015 regular season ranked No. 6 nationally in sacks per game and No. 15 in tackles-for-loss. Under Poppinga, BYU's special teams also ranked No. 7 in punting average and No. 19 in kick return coverage in 2014. The Cougars finished third nationally in total defense in 2012, and ranked in the top 10 in six different defensive categories.
As a player, Poppinga was an All-Mountain West linebacker and Academic All-MW honoree at BYU while helping the Cougars win back-to-back conference championships in 2006 and 2007. He transferred to BYU from Utah State, where he spent the 2003-04 seasons. Poppinga helped BYU to Las Vegas Bowl wins over Oregon and UCLA, and led the team with 113 tackles his senior season. He spent the 2008 season with three NFL teams before going to Super Bowl XLIII with the Arizona Cardinals.
A native of Evanston, Wyo., Poppinga earned his bachelor's (2007) and master's (2010) degrees from BYU in exercise science. Poppinga and his wife, Rebekah, have four daughters.
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