Jim Popp enters his second season as the assistant head coach in charge of running backs at Alabama State University after an extensive career in the Canadian Football League.
Last season, the Hornets were near the top of the conference in rushing as a team and Ezra Gray earned First Team All-SWAC honors following a year in which he led the conference in rushing. He was also named a BOXTOROW All-American.
Popp was recognized as one of the brightest minds in professional sports, known for his ability to both build expansion teams and rebuild established franchises into championship organizations. Popp has the uncanny ability to hire, develop, mentor top executives, coaches, and players that are spread across North America. Popp most recently was the general manager of the Toronto Argonauts football club of the CFL.
He had previously served as Vice President, General Manager, Head Coach, Director of Football Operations, and Director of Player Personnel of the Montreal Alouettes, General Manager and Director of Player Personnel of the Baltimore Stallions, and the Director of Player Personnel and Wide Receiver Coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Popp has become one of the most decorated General Managers in professional sports, leading three separate franchises to a total of five Grey Cup championship wins (1995 with the Baltimore Stallions; 2002, 2009, 2010 with the Montreal Alouettes; 2017 with the Toronto Argonauts) and his teams have appeared in 18 Divisional Championship games, 11 Grey Cups (the most appearances in a championship game by any General Manager in professional sports).
Under Popp's guidance, his Canadian Football League teams won 310 games (an average of more than 11 wins per season), reached the playoffs 24 of 28 seasons, advancing to the Divisional Championship game 18 times. Popp's teams have appeared in 11 Grey Cup championship games, winning the Grey Cup 5 times. In January 2012, Popp was a finalist for the vacant Indianapolis Colts General Manager position, between himself and Ryan Grigson. In February 2013, Popp found himself in a similar position as a finalist for the vacant General Manager position with the Carolina Panthers, between himself and Dave Gentleman. In January 2013, Popp was also a candidate for the vacant General Manager position with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets. Popp has had job offers and interviews from other NFL teams including Cleveland, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington.
The 2009 and 2010 Alouettes back-to-back Grey Cup championships were the first back-to-back CFL titles in 13 years. Popp's teams have been some of the most successful in CFL history. He is considered by many as the most successful General Manager in CFL history. He was one of the longest serving General Managers with one team in sports history (21 season's with Montreal Alouettes), and his team was the only team to ever win 18 games in a CFL season (Baltimore Stallions – including the final 13 in a row).
Popp was the first General Manager in CFL history to have won 12 or more games in seven consecutive seasons, and he managed the second most successful pro franchise in any sport over two decades (1996-2016), only behind New England Patriots. He ranks second all-time in win total as a General Manager in CFL history, ranks first all-time with five Grey Cup Championships as a General Manager in CFL history, and ranks first all-time with 18 Divisional Championship appearances by a General Manager in CFL history.
He was named 2011 Sports Executive of the Year by Sports Media Canada. He was awarded the Legacy of Leadership Honor 2019, and is a member of the Mooresville Sports Hall-of-Fame.
