Former Canadian Football League general manager Jim Popp has been named director of player administration for the United States Football League.
The 56-year-old has been out of the CFL since October 2019 when he was fired 14 games through the season with the Toronto Argonauts 2-12. Popp was hired as the Argos GM in February 2017 when signed a three-year contract with the double blue.
His first year in Toronto the Boatmen finished 9-9, which was enough for first place in the East Division and a bye to the East Final. Star quarterback Ricky Ray led a late drive for the Argonauts to come back and beat Saskatchewan, advancing to the 105th Grey Cup — Toronto upset Calgary to win the CFL championship.
However, the Argos fell to dead last in 2018 with a 4-14 record and the man Popp hired as head coach, Marc Trestman lost his job because of the poor record. Once again the following year, Toronto had the worst record and Popp’s win-loss mark since that Cinderella run to the Grey Cup was 6-26.
Prior to joining the Argos, Popp oversaw four Grey Cup winning teams in Baltimore 1995 and Montreal 2002, 2009 and 2010. His teams have gone a combined 269-194-1 with a 27-17 playoff record. As a head coach, Popp sports a 22-36 mark while going 1-4 in the post-season. Popp spent two years as the Stallions GM, 21 in the same role for the Alouettes and nearly three with the Argos.
Popp broke into the CFL as the receivers coach and director of player personnel for the Saskatchewan Roughriders 1992-1993.
The native of Elkin, N.C. has spent the last two years as the assistant head coach and running backs coach at Alabama State University. The team’s head coach, Donald Hill-Eley has previously served on the coaching staff of the Stallions 1994-1995 and Argonauts 1996-1997.
