Years at BYU
2009-15, 2022-present
Years Overall
2009-present
Coaching Experience
- 2026-present BYU defensive coordinator
- 2022-2025 BYU special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach
- 2022 Boise State co-special teams coordinator and edge position coach
- 2018-21 Virginia co-defensive coordinator and edge position coach
- 2016-17 Virginia special teams coordinator coach
- 2016-20 Virginia outside linebacker coach; 2021 linebacker coach
- 2013-15 BYU special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach
- 2011-12 BYU outside linebackers coach
- 2010 BYU defensive graduate assistant and interim outside linebacker coach
- 2009 BYU defensive intern
Bowl Games Coached
- Virginia: Capital One Orange (2019), Belk (2018), Military (2017)
- BYU: New Mexico (2010), Armed Forces (2011), Poinsettia (2012), Fight Hunger (2013), Miami Beach (2014), Las Vegas (2015), Valero Alamo Bowl (2024), Pop-Tarts Bowl (2025)
Coaching Notes
- Returned to BYU to be on Kalani Sitake’s staff in December of 2022 after serving as the co-special teams coordinator and edge position coach at Boise State for the 2022 season.
- Prior to his year with the Broncos, Poppinga served as the co-defensive coordinator or special teams coordinator at the University of Virginia for six seasons after his first seven-year stint on the BYU staff.
- Helped BYU in its first three years in the Big 12 Conference achieved a 28-11 (.718) record under Kalani Sitake, including a 23-4 (.852) resume the past two seasons while finishing tied atop the conference standings and earning bowl victories in back-to-back years.
- Since returning to Provo, Poppinga has contributed to BYU producing one of the nation’s top overall defenses, consistently ranking in the top 20 in many different statistical categories.
- BYU's defense produced eight top-25 defensive outcomes in 2025, including No. 6 in red zone defense (70.4%) and red zone TD defense (40.7%), No. 7 in interceptions (17), No. 10 in defensive TDs (3), No. 14 in turnovers gained (24), No. 19 in scoring defense (19.1 ppg), No. 19 in third down defense (33%), and No. 25 in pass efficiency defense (116.97 rating).
- In 2025, BYU registered 30 sacks as a team, the most since 2015 during Poppinga’s last year of his first stint with the Cougars.
- In 2024, BYU's defense ranked No. 1 with 22 interceptions while ranking No. 3 in pass efficiency defense (105.91), No. 4 in turnovers gained (29), No. 13 in total defense (308.8 ypg), No. 14 in first down defense (17.0), No. 18 in scoring defense (19.6 ppg), No. 20 in passing defense (182.5 ypg).
- The Cougar defense contributed eight total defensive touchdowns from 2023-2025.
- Poppinga’s defensive ends at BYU have included Minnesota Vikings Tyler Batty, along with 2025 mainstays Logan Lutui, Bodie Schoonover and Viliami Po’uha and up-and-comers freshman Hunter Clegg and Texas-transfer Tausili Akana.
- During first stint with BYU, Poppinga coached linebackers. He coached Kyle Van Noy who was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Lions, and has won two Super Bowls with the Patriots
- Coached Fred Warner who was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, now widely considered one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL
- Coached Sione Takitaki (Cleveland Browns), Alani Fua (Arizona Cardinals) and Spencer Hadley (New Orleans Saints/Oakland Raider) who played in the NFL
- Helped BYU rank No. 3 in total defense (266.1 ypg allowed) and in top 10 of six defensive categories in 2012
- Helped BYU to rank No. 13 in overall defense, No. 19 in rushing defense and No. 22 in scoring defense in 2011
- Helped BYU rank No. 24 in total defense in 2010
- Helped coach the Cougars to win in the 2010 New Mexico Bowl, the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2012 Poinsettia Bowl. Since returning to BYU he has been part of back-to-back bowls wins at the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl and 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl to help BYU go 11-2 and 12-2 in 2024 and 2025.
- At Boise State, Poppinga was part of a defensive staff that engineered the No. 6 overall defense in the FBS, allowing just 281.3 yards per game and No. 11 in scoring defense at 18.5 points allowed.
- He contributed to the Broncos playing for the Mountain West championship for the sixth time in seven seasons after a 9-3 regular season in 2022.
- Boise State’s edge rushers Demitri Washington and George Tarlas combined for 8.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss under Poppinga’s direction.
- While at Virginia, Poppinga worked under former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall as the special teams coordinator for the 2016-17 seasons before moving into a co-defensive coordinator role for the next four years from 2018-21 in addition to his position work coaching linebackers (2021) and outside linebackers (2016-20).
- In 2021, he coached Cavaliers linebacker Nick Jackson, who recorded 117 tackles (54 solo) to lead the ACC and rank 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. Snowden is currently in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders.
- 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. Peace spent a year in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants before entering the coaching ranks.
BYU Playing Career
- An All-MWC and Academic All-MWC as a linebacker at BYU from 2006-07
- Led the Cougars with 113 tackles his senior year
- Helped BYU win back-to-back conference championships in 2006 and 2007
- Played in the NFL in 2008, seeing time on three teams before going to the Super Bowl XLIII with the Arizona Cardinals
Education
- BYU (2007, B.A. Exercise Science)
- BYU (December 2010, M.A. Exercise Science)
Hometown
Evanston, Wyo.
Mission
Ecuador
Personal/Family
- Wife, Rebekah Meier
- Has three daughters
- Brother Brady played football at BYU from 2001-04 and played in the NFL
- Parents are Dennis and Vicki Poppinga
- Father played tight end at BYU from 1968-1971