Jim Popp

Vice President, General Manager,
Director of Football Operations
Director of Player Personnel

2011 - Now in his 16th season as the Alouettes’ General Manager, Jim Popp has built the team into the CFL’s most successful franchise of the last decade. With three Grey Cup victories since 2000, he has been recognized as one of the best general managers in the CFL. The rare ability to build expansion teams and help turn around established franchises into winning organizations is what makes Popp so special.

His accomplishments are nonetheless already impressive holding the best overall record of any CFL general manager in the last 16 years leading the Alouettes to five consecutive seasons of 12 or more victories (1996-2000), becoming one of only three teams in CFL history to accomplish that feat. Of the three CFL coaches ever to win back-to-back Coach of the Year honours, two did so working under him (Don Matthews 1994-1995 and Charlie Taaffe 1999-2000).

Over the past 19 years in the CFL (two years with Saskatchewan, two with Baltimore, and 15 with Montreal), all of his teams have made it into the playoffs every year, appearing in 15 division championships and 10 Grey Cups, winning four championships. Under Popp, the Als have reached the East Division Championship in every season except 2001 and 2007, and have been to eight Grey Cups, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 (as head coach), 2008, 2009 and 2010 winning in ’02, ’09 and ‘10.

Before joining the Alouettes, he served as the assistant General Manager and director of player personnel in 1994-95 with the Baltimore Stallions. In 1995, the Stallions established a league record for wins in a season with a combined 18-3 record, including the season, playoffs and Grey Cup. The Stallions won their last 13 games and remain the only American team to have won the Grey Cup. The ‘95 Stallions team had a total of 14 players go on to sign NFL contracts and surprised no one by winning the championship. The 1994 Stallions have the distinction of being the most successful expansion franchise, going 12-6-0, winning the East Division Championship, and appearing in the Grey Cup.

Popp was the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ director of player personnel and wide receivers coach under Matthews in 1992-93. The Roughriders had two successful seasons while he was with the club, appearing in the playoffs both years. In those two years of building the Roughriders, Saskatchewan enjoyed their best records for 15 years until their recent success.

Before coming to the CFL, he helped form the Professional Spring Football League in 1992, in which he served as the league’s director of player personnel and worked and resided with former NFL Coach Walt Michaels. In 1991, he served as the wide receivers, special teams, and strength and conditioning coach for the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks of the World League (later known as NFL Europa) under NFL great, Roman Gabriel.

He coached at the collegiate level for five seasons having evolved with the Citadel (1988-90) under Charlie Taaffe; North Carolina (1987) under Dick Crum; and Michigan State (1986) under George Perles. He played college football for three seasons at Michigan State (1983-85) under Perles, as a wide receiver and defensive back. His position coaches at Michigan State were Nick Saban (head coach at University of Alabama and former head coach of the Miami Dolphins) and Charlie Baggett (former assistant head coach of the Miami Dolphins and now an assistant coach with the St. Louis Rams).

Born December 21, 1964 in Elkin, North Carolina, Popp is married to Kimberly Hamilton Popp. They have six children, all born in Montreal: three girls; twins Hannah and Hayley, and Ella-Rae; and three boys; Preston, Hudson, and Payton-James. His family lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, but they also spend some time in Montreal.