Kelly Poppinga returned to the BYU Cougars in 2022 to join head coach Kalani Sitake’s coaching staff, following a stint at Boise State, where he served as co-special teams coordinator and coached the edge position during the 2022 season. After Jay Hill departed for the same role at Michigan in early January, Sitake promoted Poppinga to defensive coordinator on January 7.
Kalani Sitake Discusses Transition to Kelly Poppinga as BYU Defensive Coordinator
Sitake recently spoke about what makes Poppinga different from Hill as a defensive coordinator.
“Yeah, I think the main thing is that he’s a linebacker that played outside linebacker and played in the NFL, played here at BYU,” Sitake said. “So his approach is different, just being a former player and knowing what these student athletes are going through. That’s unique and different than what we had with our former coordinator.
“And also, he’s a front-seven guy, so his attention goes more to the front seven. When we had Coach Hill, he did a great job, but he was more focused on the back end. So I like that we’re working from the front towards the back, and it’s different, but I like the coordinator being involved with coaching someone from a position group from the front seven.”
Poppinga’s history with BYU also plays a role in his transition, as he previously played under Bronco Mendenhall in 2006–07 and later coached on his staff from 2009 to 2015 before returning in 2022. His promotion to defensive coordinator reflects both his familiarity with the program and the impact he has already made. BYU has developed into one of the nation’s more effective defensive units, finishing near the top of multiple statistical categories.
The Cougars finished 2025 as one of the Big 12’s most consistent units, ranking third in the conference in total defense. They registered 30 sacks as a team in 2025, their highest total since Poppinga’s final year of his first stint in 2015, and finished last season with an 86.1 score in the PFSN College Football Defense Impact Metric, ranking No. 14 in the nation.
As for uniqueness, Poppinga has taken a somewhat unconventional route in recruiting. Rather than relying on the transfer portal for defensive ends, he has chosen to invest in developing the talent already on the roster. This includes former four-star prospects like Braxton Lindsey, Tausili Akana, Hunter Clegg, and Nusi Taumoepeau, all of whom committed to BYU over other major programs.
“We have a lot of young guys that haven’t really played for us that I think are going to be very, very good players, Kini Fonohema being one of them,” Poppinga said, via Sports Illustrated. “Vince Tautua being another one, Kendall Wall being another one, and that’s not even mentioning the 7 or 8 guys that we have coming back that have playing experience.
“So I’m super excited… we’ve recruited very well at that position. I’d say probably better than any position.”
Poppinga believes BYU has “talented and experienced” roster depth heading into 2026. However, he is also focused on building accountability within the unit and brings the defense together after practices and scrimmages for informal “group therapy” sessions to critique film and solidify team culture.
