North Carolina State University Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator | Quarterbacks
- Email:
- Phone:
- (919) 515-7062
Rice ‘96
31st year in coaching, 8th at NC State
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
COLLEGE – Three-year letter winner at quarterback and defensive back for Rice (1992-94).
EDUCATION:
Earned a B.S. in human performance from Rice in 1995 and a master’s from Tennessee in 1998.
PERSONAL:
Born in Ames, Iowa, on July 25, 1972. Married to the former Britt Albertson, a Trinity, N.C., native. The couple has a daughter Reese and son Luke. Brother Zac spent 24 years coaching in college football and is currently on the Wolfpack staff. Son of Bobby Roper, who was an All-South-west Conference (SWC) football player for Arkansas, winning a national title in 1974. As a coach, Bobby was the defensive coordinator for the 1976 National Champion Pitt Panthers.
BOWL EXPERIENCE:
AS A COACH (20): NC State - 2025 Gasparilla Bowl, 2024 GoBowling Military Bowl, 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, 2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, 2021 Holiday Bowl*, 2020 Gator Bowl; South Carolina: 2017 Outback Bowl, 2016 Birmingham Bowl; Florida: 2014 Birmingham; Duke: 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl, 2012 Belk Bowl, 2008 Outback Bowl; Tennessee: 2007 Outback; Ole Miss: 2004 Cotton Bowl, 2002 Independence Bowl, 2000 Music City Bowl, 1999 Independence Bowl, 1999 Fiesta Bowl, 1998 Orange Bowl, 1997 Citrus Bowl.
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS:
Overall:
- Has been an offensive coordinator for 11 yeas - two SEC schools and two ACC schools.
At NC State:
- In 2025, running back Hollywood Smothers became the first Pack player in 28 years to lead the ACC in rushing yards.
- Smothers and TE Justin Joly earned first-team All-ACC honors.
- QB CJ Bailey boasts the best career completion percentage in school history with a .671 mark (469-699). His single-season percentage in 2025 (.688) ranks second in school history while his 3,105 passing yards for the season ranked as the ninth-best single-season mark in school history and his 25 touchdown passes is tied for seventh.
- In 2024, Bailey was one of the top rookie performers in school history - ranking seventh among all FBS freshmen in passing yards with 2,413, second nationally among true freshmen.
- QB Brennan Armstrong set the Wolfpack single-season record for rushing by at quarterback in 2023.
- The 2020 Wolfpack set a school record with just four fumbles lost in 2020.
- RB Zonovan Knight averaged 5.51 yards per carry in 2020, the 11th-best mark in school history and currently posts the best career yards per carry average in school history (5.49).
- Knight ranked ninth in the ACC in scoring and sixth in all-purpose yards.
At Duke:
- Mentored QB Thaddeus Lewis, who spent six years in the NFL after a record-breaking college career.
- Finished as Duke’s all-time leader in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He joined Phillip Rivers as just the second player in ACC history to throw for over 10,000 yards.
- In 2013, the Blue Devils enjoyed a record-setting campaign, winning a program-best 10 games en route to capturing the ACC’s Coastal Division championship.
- His offense set the school record for total touchdowns (60), while becoming the first squad in Blue Devil history to score over 20 rushing and passing touchdowns in the same season.
- Also coached Blue Devil QB Anthony Boone - Duke’s winningest quarterback with 19 victories.
- While he was OC Brandon Connette became Duke’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns and wide receiver Jamison Crowder established school single-season records for receptions (108) and receiving yards (1,301).
- Quarterback Sean Renfree was selected to the prestigious AFCA Good Works Team before going on to be a seventh round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2013.
At Tennessee:
- Coached the rushing attack led by Arian Foster, who gained 1,193 yards on 245 carries, while scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground.
- Foster went on to lead the NFL in rushing yards in 2010 and rushing touchdowns in 2010 and 2012.
- Another one of his running backs at UT, Montario Hardesty, went on to be a second round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns.
At Kentucky:
- Coached quarterback Andre’ Woodson, who went on to be a sixth round draft pick of the New York Giants.
At Ole Miss:
- Coached All-America QB Eli Manning, the 2003 SEC Player of the Year and first overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft.
- After winning the Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards in 2003 while setting 47 school records at Ole Miss, Manning has gone on to win two Super Bowls, was twice named the Super Bowl MVP and is a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
YEAR BY YEAR WITH KURT ROPER
| Year(s) | School/Team | Position |
| 1996-98 | Tennessee | GA |
| 1999-04 | Mississippi | Quarterbacks |
| 2005 | Kentucky | Quarterbacks |
| 2006-07 | Tennessee | Running Backs |
| 2008-13 | Duke | Offensive Coor./QB |
| 2014 | Florida | Offensive Coor./QB |
| 2015 | Cleveland Browns | Senior Offensive Assistant |
| 2016-17 | South Carolina | Co-Offensive Coor./QB |
| 2018 | Colorado | Quarterbacks |
| 2019 | NC State | Quarterbacks |
| 2020-22 | NC State | Running Backs |
| 2023 | NC State | Quarterbacks |
| 2024 | NC State | Quarterbacks/Pass Game Coordinator |
| 2025- | NC State | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
