Jerry Popp
Willmar High School
Impact Statement
“You can’t worry about the course or the weather, you got kids you got to key off of. That’s the tough part: keeping that focus dialed in on what they can control.” -J. Popp
Biography
Popp joined Disa Daucsavage as co-coach at Willmar in 2004 coaching the Cardinals boys teams to Class AA state titles in 2005 and 2006, the school’s first state crowns in 20 years.
It was a new chapter for Popp, who built a legend when he started the cross country program at Bowman (N.D.) High in 1975. Popp’s teams swept the Class B boys and girls state crowns six straight years (1979-84), one of four national and eight state records his teams own. Bowman ran to 13 double titles and 39 titles overall and his girls’ teams’ 25 titles are a national record. His girls track and field teams added six state crowns.
The North Dakota High School Coaches Association (NDHSCA) named him Coach of the Year 21 times in girls’ cross country, four times in boys’ cross country and three times in girls’ track and field. Popp also started Bowman’s speech program and coached it to 20 state titles. Popp was named National Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) in 1993 and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 2002. He was inducted into the NDHSCA Hall of Fame in 1999, the NHSACA Hall of Fame in 2001 and the NFHS Hall of Fame in 2002.
Since being honored in 2008, Popp has continued to lead Wilmar to success. His girls’ teams have placed in the top 10 in the state six times in the past ten years including 3rd place in 2014 and 2015, 2nd in 2016 and 4th in 2017. The boys’ teams have placed in the top 15 in the state four times: 13th in 2009, 15th in 2011, 6th in 2005, and 12th in 2017.
Photos
Articles
