Kelly Poppinga once aspired to be a major college football coach, and he's living the dream now, tutoring BYU defensive ends and coordinating special teams , an art form as a game inside the game he loves.
Poppinga is an affable, friendly personality who takes his job seriously, and the results with his special teams play this past season were key in BYU's 11-win season and Alamo Bowl victory over Colorado.
He'll take it.
And he'll keep plugging on as BYU's spring drills come to a close.
But he's also a guy who doesn't forget where he came from and who helped him get to where he is now, having coached in the ACC, at Boise State and the Big 12.
His mentors?
There are many that he is grateful for.
"He did it at a high level and I think that's how he turned BYU's program around. He's been able to coach a lot of very good players over the years and develop it through those characteristics."
I asked him to single out a few who've impacted his career.
At the top of the list is current Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall , who gave him his first crack at coaching, elevating him as a former player to a role as graduate assistant in his regime before hiring him full-time as part of the Cougars defensive staff.
"When I started this profession, I had a great group of guys, great coaches around me to help me, guide me and teach me the ropes. There was Bronco, Paul Tidwell and even Lance Reynolds , although he coached on offense, and I'd also say offensive line coach Mark Weber ."
Poppinga said these veterans took him under their wings.
"I'm 43 years old now and there are some young coaches coming up that don't have the mentors I had and I'm like saying, 'Sorry, man.'"
Poppinga spent 13 years working for Mendenhall at BYU and Virginia and he said Mendenhall's intensity, knowledge and drive had an impact on him.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall watches as BYU faces Air Force in Mountain West football action at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005. | Jason Olson, Deseret News
"You have the three pillars that he emphasized when he was here at BYU, a great foundation to follow for a young coach like me. Accountability, discipline and effort. I've been able to use those principles throughout my entire career and continue to use them now. Even though Bronco isn't here, with Kalani (Sitake) it is still applicable."
Poppinga said Mendenhall was exceptional at enacting priorities in those three areas, teaching it, working it and leading with it.
"He did it at a high level and I think that's how he turned BYU's program around. He's been able to coach a lot of very good players over the years and develop it through those characteristics."
He credits Tidwell and Steve Kaufusi with helping him learn the ropes with recruiting.
"They taught me how to be in this profession, to do it all. There are so many things to coaching besides coaching. You have to learn how to mentor players, how to deal with academics, build trust, motivate and juggle a whole lot of things at the same time."
Poppinga still talks to all his mentors and remains in contact with them today. He also credits former Stanford assistant and current Utah Tech head coach Lance Anderson for helping him, a resource he still uses. All his coaching mentors suggested ways for him to work and still be a good father and husband.
Mendenhall, said Poppinga, knew how to hold players accountable.
"He knew their weaknesses individually and knew how to make those weaknesses become strengths over time. He didn't let things slip through the cracks, he was just a very detailed coach.
"I learned over time that you have to hold players accountable and hold them to a very high standard. If they don't reach it, you just keep at it until they do, and then you set a new bar. This is why he's had success at every place he's been, at Virginia and New Mexico — he's flipped things fast."
BYU's defensive success this coming season will depend a lot on how BYU's front seven develops and deploys both inside tackles and ends.
Poppinga hopes the development and addition of key players will give coordinator Jay Hill more depth and consistent tools this year, especially with the addition of Texas transfer Tausili Akana and freshman Hunter Clegg with veterans Logan Lutui, Vincent Tautua, Viliami Po'uha and others.
Legendary NFL coach Bill Walsh said, "Your mentors in life are important, choose them wisely."
Poppinga believes he is lucky and blessed to have worked in the draft of some very talented lead coaches in his race to be a responsible and effective coach.
BYU alumnus Brian Logan talks to teammate Kelly Poppinga during the alumni game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on March 31, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
