Roper was the interim head football coach at University of Colorado Boulder for the final game of the 2018 season.

A native of Ames, Iowa, he was starting quarterback for Ardmore (OK) High School, where he led the Tigers to a 1990 state championship.

Roper left in 2008, when David Cutcliffe was named head coach at Duke, he followed as the Blue Devils' offensive coordinator.

In 2013, Roper was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach.

On December 30, 2024, Roper was elevated to Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach at NC State, replacing Robert Anae.