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Nov 30, 2013; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterbacks Anthony Boone (7) and Brandon Connette (18) with quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper after the game. The Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 27-25 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

What Happened During Kurt Roper’s Last Stint as an OC?

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 12:30 PM ET

NC State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper isn’t new to being an offensive coordinator. The role at NC State will be Roper’s fourth stint as an offensive coordinator in a career that spans back to 1996.

Roper worked as the OC at Duke for several seasons, then at Florida for one, before later landing on his most recent coordinator job with South Carolina. Roper coached the Gamecocks for two seasons under head coach Will Muschamp from 2016 to 2017. South Carolina went 6-7 in 2016 before improving to 9-4 in 2017. Roper served as the co-offensive coordinator during both seasons, coaching alongside Bryan McClendon.

In 2017, Roper’s last as an offensive coordinator, the Gamecocks boasted a strong offense. They scored over 30 points in five of their nine wins, including a 48-point explosion against Arkansas.

The quarterback play wasn’t a strong suit, as sophomore signal-caller Jake Bentley threw just 18 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions. Despite his struggles, Roper found ways to put points on the board in a variety of different ways. 10 different players for the Gamecocks finished the season with at least one touchdown, led by Bentley’s six rushing touchdowns.

Loaded with talent

The roster was loaded with NFL talent as well, so Roper dealt with a lot of mouths to feed during the season. The receiver corps included future Pro Bowler Deebo Samuel, who went on to become an elite Swiss Army Knife player for the San Francisco 49ers before being traded to the Washington Commanders this offseason. Bryan Edwards, who went on to be a third-round selection by the Las Vegas Raiders, led the team in receiving yards as a sophomore with 793 yards.

At tight end, Roper worked with Hayden Hurst, another player who carved himself out a role with a few different NFL teams and most recently played with the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2024 season. Hurst had 559 receiving yards in 2017 under Roper.

Roper’s group of tailbacks included Rico Dowdle and Ty’Son Williams, who both ultimately played in the NFL.

Before the Gamecocks played in the Outback Bowl that season, Roper was relieved of his duties and went to become the quarterbacks coach at Colorado. The lack of development for Bentley was cited as the primary reason for Roper’s firing.

Eight years later, Roper is getting another shot to call the plays under head coach Dave Doeren at NC State. The Wolfpack head coach is banking on Roper’s playcalling to lead NC State to an improved year in 2025 after finishing 6-7 a season ago.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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