Head coach Andy Kennedy has named Jesse Bopp as the replacement for Ryan Cross, who departed to become the head coach at ULM.
“Excited to welcome Jesse and his family to Birmingham to be a part of Blazer Basketball,” Kennedy said. Jesse brings a wealth of experience in this space as a successful coach throughout his career. Multiple head coaches whom I respect contacted me in support of Jesse joining our staff. We look forward to continuing with complete staff alignment in our quest for future championships.”
Bopp arrives at UAB from Florida International, where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2021–22 season. He spent eight total seasons with the program. FIU finished 15–17 this past season, highlighted by a win over Middle Tennessee, another opponent UAB faced during the year.
During his first two seasons with the Panthers, the program recorded 39 wins, marking the most successful two-year stretch in school history. This included a 19–13 campaign during the COVID-19 shortened 2019–20 season. That year, FIU led the nation in total blocked shots (210) and blocks per game (6.6), while also averaging 8.8 steals per game, which ranked 13th nationally.
Bopp spent the 2017–18 season at the nationally recognized IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where his team finished 18–13 and qualified for the NCSAA postseason tournament. He holds an overall high school head coaching record of 67–54, including three seasons at Vermont Academy from 2010–13.
In a one-year stint at New Mexico State, Bopp helped the program achieve a school-record 28 wins, the most by any first-year staff in the nation that season. The team also earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and captured both the regular season and tournament championships in its conference. He also spent the 2015–16 season at Chattanooga.
Prior to that, Bopp served two years as Director of Basketball Operations under head coach Shaka Smart at VCU. The Rams went 52–19 during that span, finishing the 2014–15 season ranked No. 15 in the nation. During the 2013–14 season, VCU achieved its highest AP ranking in school history at No. 10 on Nov. 19, 2013. This marked the first of four NCAA Tournament teams Bopp has been a part of.
A former collegiate player at Plymouth State University from 2003 to 2007, Bopp graduated in 2007 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He later earned a master’s degree in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010.
Bopp and his wife, Brianna Lucas, were married in August of 2018. The couple gave birth to their first child, Jaxson, in April of 2019.
