Jeff Popovich

Jeff Popovich joined Georgia Tech’s football staff in 2019 as cornerbacks coach and defensive special teams coordinator (kickoff and punt coverage).

In his first season as Yellow Jackets’ cornerbacks coach, Popovich mentored an all-ACC selection in CB Tre Swilling. As defensive special teams coordinator, he oversaw a unit that blocked three kicks (tied for most in the ACC and 14th nationally) and improved its average kickoff return allowed by nearly six yards over the previous season (from 26.27 ypr in 2018 to 20.91 ypr in 2019).

Popovich has 14 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, most recently as cornerbacks coach at Boise State in 2018. His resume also includes two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and stints at UTSA, Florida International and his alma mater, Miami (Fla.).

He was a three-time academic all-Big East honoree as a defensive back and special-teams standout at Miami and went on to play professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and NFL Europe’s Barcelona Dragons.

Popovich and his wife, Lara, have two daughters – Sayle and Copeleigh.

FULL BIOGRAPHY

Jeff Popovich joined Georgia Tech’s football staff in 2019 as cornerbacks coach and defensive special teams coordinator (kickoff and punt coverage).

As defensive special teams coordinator, Popovich played a big role in Georgia Tech ranking No. 2 nationally in net punting last season and Pressley Harvin III winning the Ray Guy Award as college football’s top punter. Harvin would also become only the third unanimous All-American in Tech history and a seventh-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2021 National Football League Draft.

Also in 2020, Popovich’s cornerbacks contributed to the Yellow Jackets ranking No. 2 nationally in fumble recoveries and No. 25 nationally in total takeaways by combining for five takeaways on the season. Most notably, Zamari Walton set a school record with his 93-yard fumble return for a touchdown against regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference champion Notre Dame.

In his first season as Yellow Jackets’ cornerbacks coach, Popovich mentored an all-ACC selection in CB Tre Swilling. As defensive special teams coordinator, he oversaw a unit that blocked three kicks (tied for most in the ACC and 14th nationally) and improved its average kickoff return allowed by nearly six yards over the previous season (from 26.27 ypr in 2018 to 20.91 ypr in 2019).

Popovich has 16 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, most recently as cornerbacks coach at Boise State in 2018. In his lone season on Boise State’s staff, the Broncos ranked among the nation’s top 40 teams in third-down defense (.311), takeaways (24), scoring defense (22.1 ppg) and total defense (355.9 ypg).

He and Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins first coached together as members of Florida International’s staff in 2010 (Collins as defensive coordinator, Popovich as defensive backs coach), where they helped lead FIU to the school’s first-ever Conference USA championship and bowl berth.

Popovich’s 14-year career includes 12 seasons at the NCAA Division I FBS level at Boise State, UTSA (cornerbacks coach – 2013-15), Florida International (defensive backs – 2007-12) and his alma mater, Miami (Fla.) (graduate assistant – 2005-06). In addition to serving as DBs coach at FIU, Popovich was also the program’s pro liaison for his entire six-season stint and was the Panthers’ special teams coordinator in his final season (2012). He also spent two seasons with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, first as an assistant to head coach Chuck Pagano in 2016, then as a defensive quality control assistant in 2017.

A Tucson, Ariz. native, Popovich walked on at Miami but became a major contributor for the Hurricanes as a defensive back and special teams standout, recording 154 tackles in 46 career games (1996-99). He was a three-time academic all-Big East honoree and went on to play professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000), NFL Europe’s Barcelona Dragons (2001) and the Atlanta Falcons (2001).

Popovich earned bachelor’s (biomedical engineering – 2000) and master’s (international finance – 2007) degrees from Miami. He and his wife, Lara, have two daughters – Sayle and Copeleigh.