Rejecting job offers from two other Canadian Football League teams, Jim Popp said last night that he will remain with the Baltimore Football Club, but with a new title -- assistant general manager.
Popp passed up offers to join the Calgary Stampeders and Memphis' expansion team to stay with the Eastern Division champion he helped build as director of player personnel.
"I weighed everything between the three CFL teams . . . and felt this place is the best for me," Popp said. "There's business that was left undone, and that's to win the Grey Cup. I feel we have a good chance of doing that."
In addition to the new job title, Popp got a raise in pay that team owner Jim Speros said was the same raise the coaching staff received.
"Jim is a tremendous asset to our team," Speros said. "We have the Coach of the Year in Don Matthews, and we have a personnel guy of the same caliber."
Speros said Popp was responsible for budgetary items, such as team travel, training camp and keeping Baltimore under the salary cap.
"His job is about the same as '94, except he has a lot more budgetary responsibilities," Speros said.
Popp is expected to sign a one-year contract today.
Popp was offered the assistant general manager's job in Calgary this week after Roy Shivers left to take a general manager's job with Birmingham's expansion team.