Kurt Roper

Kurt Roper, born on July 25, 1972, is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at North Carolina State University (NC State). Roper previously held the position of interim head coach for the final game of the 2018 season at the University of Colorado Boulder. His coaching career includes stints at several institutions, including the University of South Carolina, University of Florida, Duke University, and Ole Miss. Roper began his football journey as a starting quarterback at Ardmore (OK) High School, leading his team to a 1990 state championship. He later played for Rice University, earning three varsity letters before graduating in 1995. Roper also holds a master's degree from the University of Tennessee, earned in 1998. His coaching career started as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee in 1996, focusing on defense and special teams. He later joined David Cutcliffe’s staff at Ole Miss, where he coached future NFL stars like Eli Manning. Roper has held various roles, including quarterback coach at Kentucky under Rich Brooks, offensive coordinator at Duke under David Cutcliffe, and running backs coach at Tennessee. In 2015, Roper was hired as the offensive coordinator at South Carolina under Will Muschamp. He joined Colorado in 2018 as quarterbacks coach but was elevated to interim head coach for the season’s final game after Mike MacIntyre’s departure. Roper’s tenure at NC State began on December 30, 2024, when he replaced Robert Anae as Offensive Coordinator and ...