INDIANAPOLIS —Jeff Popovich is returning to the college ranks.
Popovich, who spent the previous two seasons on the Indianapolis Colts' coaching staff, was recently announced as the new cornerbacks coach at Boise State University under head coach Bryan Harsin.
"Jeff is someone that brings with him a wealth of experience at both the collegiate and professional levels," Harsin said in a school release. "He understands what this program is about, both our culture and our tradition, and he is excited to be part of it. We are thrilled to have him join our family."
Popovich joined the Colts' staff in 2016 as an assistant to head coach Chuck Pagano before becoming a defensive quality control coach last season.
A University of Miami product — where he played under Pagano, who was secondary/special teams coach for the Hurricanes from 1995-2000 — Popovich, a defensive back, would play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2000 preseason and for the Atlanta Falcons in 2001.
He began his coaching career at his alma mater as a student coach in 2000, and then re-joined the staff as a grad assistant from 2005-06. He moved on to Florida International where he served as defensive backs coach and, later, special teams coordinator from 2007-2012, before starting a three-year stint as cornerbacks coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Popovich is the 14th Colts coach from their 2017 staff who has formally joined another team's staff for 2018. Others on that list include:
• Former defensive line coach Gary Emanuel has been hired to the same position with the New York Giants.
• Former outside linebackers coach Brad White has been hired to the same position at the University of Kentucky.
• Former assistant head coach/offensive line coach Joe Philbin, tight ends coach Jim Hostler and assistant special teams coach Maurice Drayton are now with the Green Bay Packers.
• Former offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach Tim Berbenich and running backs coach Jemal Singleton are now with the Oakland Raiders.
• Former wide receives coach Sanjay Lal is expected to assume the same position with the Dallas Cowboys.
• Former quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer is now with the Seattle Seahawks.
• Former special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and defensive backs coach Greg Williams are now with the Denver Broncos.
Former Colts area scout Dave Razzano also has been hired on with the Raiders as their Director of Football Research.
The Colts, meanwhile, are yet to fill out their entire coaching staff under new head coach Frank Reich, who was hired on Feb. 11. The team on Feb. 16 announced the hiring of Matt Eberflus (defensive coordinator), Nick Sirianni (offensive coordinator), Bubba Ventrone (special teams coordinator) and Rusty Jones (director of sports performance), with more additions expected to be announced soon.
