Eastern Washington University football head coach
Aaron Best has announced that
Jeff Copp has been elevated to defensive coordinator. Copp has spent two years on staff with the defensive tackles, beginning in 2020-21 after spending four seasons at Florida International University as the co-defensive coordinator.
Copp has coached two Eagle defensive linemen to four All-Big Sky honors during his tenure in
Mitchell Johnson (First Team in 2020-21, Third Team in '22) and
Joshua Jerome (Honorable Mention in 2020-21, Third Team in '22). Following the 2021 season, Jerome was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America Defensive Team, and was named to the Phil Steele All-Big Sky fourth team along with Johnson.
Since arriving prior to the unique 2020-21 Spring season, Copp and the Eagles have garnered an overall record of 15-5 and an 11-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play along with making two consecutive NCAA FCS Playoff appearances.
In 20 games, Eastern has held 10 of its opponents to 23 points or less. In Eastern Washington's first round playoff victory against Northern Iowa, the Eagles held the Panthers out of the end zone.
Copp is a native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and played college football at Boise State. His 20 years of coaching experience includes stints at Big Sky Conference members Northern Arizona (2016), UC Davis (2009-15) and Idaho State (2004). As a player and coach he's been on teams which have won three league titles and advanced to six bowl games.
The fall 2020 season was Copp's fourth season at FIU. He coached safeties his first two seasons and then was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the last two years. Copp was the safeties coach his first two seasons at FIU.
The Panther defense ranked 17th overall in the nation for passing yards allowed per game (195.0) and 23rd in pass efficiency defense. The Panthers had 12 interceptions to rank 31st in the country, and Stantley Thomas-Oliver III was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
His safeties in 2018 helped the Panthers rank second in C-USA and 11th nationally for total interceptions (17). Additionally, the 194.1 passing yards allowed per game in 2018 ranked as 30th overall in the country. The 2017 campaign saw Copp's defensive backs help the Panther defense hold opponents to 10 points or less four times. Panthers defenders recovered 11 fumbles to lead C-USA and rank 19th nationally.
Copp came to FIU after spending one season (2016) at Northern Arizona as the Lumberjacks' special teams coordinator. Prior to his stint at NAU, Copp coached at UC Davis for seven seasons. Copp joined the UC Davis football program as a safeties coach in 2009, before coaching the Aggies' defensive backfield and special teams from 2011-12. Copp coached the linebackers for three seasons from 2013-15.
UC Davis led all NCAA Div. I (FCS) teams in net punting (41.4 average) and kickoff returns (26.4 average) in 2012. Additionally, senior punter Colton Schmidt was named All-Big Sky Conference first team after averaging 44.5 yards per attempt, sixth-best in the FCS, and went on to become a starting punter for the Buffalo Bills.
His linebackers at UC Davis also excelled. Linebacker Steven Pitts earned All-Big Sky honorable mention accolades in 2013 after posting 74 tackles, a team-high 11.5 TFLs and four sacks for 35 yards in losses. He repeated All-Big honors in 2014.
Prior to joining the Aggies, Copp spent the previous four seasons as a safeties and special teams coach at Utah State under former FIU Defensive Coordinator Brent Guy. Prior to his tenure in Logan, Copp served as a defensive ends coach at Idaho State in 2004 and as a graduate assistant at Arizona State from 2001 to 2003.
While playing collegiately at Boise State, he was named All-Big West as a defensive end. Copp also helped the Broncos to a pair of Humanitarian Bowl wins, over Louisville in 1999 and UTEP in 2000. Copp earned his bachelor's degree in health sciences from Boise State in 2001 then added a master's degree in higher education at ASU in 2003.
