Career
He served as the head football coach at Manhattan College from 1938 to 1942 and as the head coach for the Boston Yanks of the National Football League (NFL) from 1944 to 1946. A star baseball player at New Britain High School in New Britain, Connecticut, Kopf switched to football when Washington & Jefferson College dropped its baseball program before his freshman season. As a sophomore, Kopf was selected by coach John West. Heisman to call the offensive plays and was a Walter Camp All-America selection.
While attending Georgetown Law School, Kopf was hired as an offensive assistant by Lou Little in 1925.
Kopf followed Little to Columbia University in 1930 where he coached the ends and backfield for eight seasons. Kopf was the head football coach at the Manhattan College from 1938 until the program ended in 1942.
His career coaching record at Manhattan was 18–24–1. This ranks him second at Manhattan in total wins and fifth at Manhattan in winning percentage.
Upon the conclusion of the 1942 season, Manhattan College (like many schools of the day) suspended intercollegiate football games because of World World War World War II Upon completion of the war, the school decided not to reactivate the program
Kopf was the school"s athletic director from 1938-1943. In 1944, Kopf was named head coach of the Boston Yanks. This job was supposed to be temporary until Jim Crowley returned from the Navy However, instead of coaching the Yanks, Crowley became commissioner of the new All-America Football Conference and Kopf remained as the Yanks head coach until 1946.
In his three seasons with the Yanks, Kopf had a record of 7–22–2.
In 1948, Kopf was hired as an assistant under Denny Myers at Boston College. Kopf was not retained by new head coach Mike Holovak in 1951.
Kopf"s final coaching job was as an assistant to Benny Friedman at Brandeis University. After coaching, Kopf worked as a paint salesman.
He later retired to Saint St. Petersburg, Florida where he died on March 22, 1996.
He had a television show on Saturday mornings explaining the football game that was going to be shown on television that day.
