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General manager Jim Popp is taking over as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes on a full-time basis after guiding his team to the Grey Cup following Don Matthews' sudden resignation.
The Alouettes made the announcement Friday, saying Popp was the right man to handle both the football operations and the on-field product.
"Jim Popp is the architect of our football team," said Als president Larry Smith. "This will be a great opportunity for him to put his stamp on the entire product.
"We know he's a winner, we know he excels in his role and believe he is the best person to bring us closer to our ultimate objective of winning the Grey Cup."
The 41-year-old Popp, the team's GM for the last 11 seasons, inherited the coaching duties when Matthews left the organization on Oct. 4 because of stress and anxiety.
The Alouettes, 8-6 when Matthews left, split the last four games of the regular season and clinched first place in the East Division with a 24-20 comeback win over Toronto in their season finale.
Montreal followed that with a 33-24 win over the Argonauts in the East final before falling 25-14 to the B.C. Lions in the Grey Cup.
It was the Als' fifth Grey Cup appearance in the past seven years. Their only win came in 2002.
Montreal and B.C. are the only CFL teams with one person handling the head coach-GM roles. During Grey Cup week, Popp said he didn't necessarily want to the coach's job but would take it if the interview process found no one better.
"I don't have to have the limelight," he said then. "I'm a team and organizational man and I want the club that I work for to do well."