Jeff Copp

Biography

Jeff Copp enters his third season at Northwestern in 2026 and his first as a senior defensive assistant/nickels coach. Copp previously served as a defensive analyst under head coach David Braun. Redshirt junior Braden Turner headlined the nickel corner room in 2025. Turner started 12 games and posted 50 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and three pass breakups. He set career highs in tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions and passes defended this season and was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He also became the first Big Ten player to record at least three tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup (11/15) since the 2022 season. In 2025, the NU defense allowed 19.8 points per game as a team, ranking sixth in the Big Ten and 23rd in FBS. It marked the best scoring defense by a Northwestern team since 2020, and the best in a full season since 2015. Northwestern’s defense ranked fourth in the Big Ten, producing 20 total takeaways during the season (11 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions), while the team’s 11 fumble recoveries also led the Big Ten and ranked 11th in the nation. Copp came to Northwestern in August 2024 from Eastern Washington University where he was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2022 after two years on staff coaching the defensive tackles, beginning with the abbreviated 2020-21 spring season. During his tenure at Eastern Washington, Copp has coached two Eagle defensive line