Jerry Popp is a 1970 graduate of Royalton High School. He was involved in Basketball, Track, and Football during his time at RHS. Jerry went on to Moorhead State University and then into the teaching profession in North Dakota and Minnesota, where he has become a legend in the coaching ranks.

 

Jerry started the cross country program in Bowman, ND in 1975 and went on to win 24 of the 26 state championships in girls cross country and has won 15 state championships with the boys program, including eight runner-up finishes. He has earned National Coach of the Year Honors 27 times and in 2005 was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee of the North Dakota Coaches Hall of Fame. Jerry also started the Speech program at Bowman, and has guided its speech team to 20 state titles.

 

He has been married to his wife Barb for 35 years and have three grown children who have all followed their father's footsteps into the high school and college coaching ranks.