University of Memphis Athletics
Kyle Pope joins Memphis football staff
Jan 16, 2020 | Football
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Head coach Ryan Silverfield announced Thursday that Kyle Pope will join the Memphis football coaching staff as the defensive line coach for the Tigers. Pope comes to Memphis after spending last season at Liberty as the linebackers coach where the Flames finished with an 8-5 overall record in its first season reclassified as an FBS program.
"Kyle Pope has been a young rising coach on my radar for a few years now. His passion, intelligence, and energy as a coach and person are remarkable," head coach Ryan Silverfield said. "He has great ties to the South and will be a wonderful asset to our program. Everyone I've met that knows Kyle has bragged about his relationships with his players and development of them on and off the field. We are excited to welcome him to Memphis!"
Liberty is coming off of a 23-16 victory over Georgia Southern in the 2019 FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl. The Flames held the Eagles' FBS top 10 rushing offense to a total of 154 yards on the ground, well over 100 yards shy of their season average.
While at Liberty last season, Pope guided Solomon Ajayi to the 2019 Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference second team. Ajayi led the Flames with 93 tackles this season and five quarterback hurries. He also forced a fumble and finished with 5.0 tackles for loss.
In 2017 and 2018, Pope served as a defensive line graduate assistant for Alabama where he helped guide the Crimson Tide to back-to-back College Football Playoff national championship game appearances and the 2017 national title.
After graduation from Jacksonville State, Pope had coaching stops at Holmes Community College, West Alabama and Presbyterian. In addition to on-field duties, Pope worked with recruiting, breaking down opponents' film and preparing practice plans, while working to develop the student-athletes.
Pope graduated from Jacksonville State in May 2015 with a degree in exercise science and wellness with a concentration in human performance. He was a four-year player for the Gamecocks (2011-14), helping Jacksonville State to the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2013 and 2014.
Tiger football is prepping for its first season under Silverfield. Fans can place a $50 deposit on their 2020 football season tickets online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com.
