{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1968)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Phil Longo | image = | alt = | caption = | current_title = Head coach | current_team = Sam Houston | current_conference = CUSA | current_record = 2–10 | contract = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|4|17}} | birth_place = Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | player_years1 = 1987 | player_team1 = East Stroudsburg | player_years2 = 1988–1991 | player_team2 = Rowan | player_positions = Quarterback, running back | coach_years1 = 1996–1999 | coach_team1 = Parsippany Hills HS (NJ) | coach_years2 = 2000–2001 | coach_team2 = William Paterson (AHC/OC) | coach_years3 = 2002–2003 | coach_team3 = La Salle (AHC/OC) | coach_years4 = 2004–2005 | coach_team4 = La Salle | coach_years5 = 2006–2007 | coach_team5 = Minnesota Duluth (OC) | coach_years6 = 2008–2009 | coach_team6 = Southern Illinois (OC) | coach_years7 = 2010 | coach_team7 = Youngstown State (WR/RC) | coach_years8 = 2011 | coach_team8 = Slippery Rock (WR) | coach_years9 = 2012–2013 | coach_team9 = Slippery Rock (OC/QB) | coach_years10 = 2014–2016 | coach_team10 = Sam Houston State (OC/QB) | coach_years11 = 2017–2018 | coach_team11 = Ole Miss (OC/QB) | coach_years12 = 2019–2022 | coach_team12 = North Carolina (OC/QB) | coach_years13 = 2023–2024 | coach_team13 = Wisconsin (OC/QB) | coach_years14 = 2025–present | coach_team14 = Sam Houston State | overall_record = 9–24 (college) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = }} '''Phil Longo''' (born April 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is the current head football coach of Sam Houston. He previously served as the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. A practitioner of the air raid offense, he was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for North Carolina, Ole Miss and Sam Houston.
==Early life and playing career== Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, and raised in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township, New Jersey, Longo played quarterback at Central Regional High School.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11436024/daily-record/ "Coach"], ''Daily Record (Morristown)'', December 13, 1988. Accessed September 15, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Longo, 30, was born in the Jersey Shore community of Red Bank and grew up in Bayville, where he attended Central Regional High. He quarterbacked the first Central team to make the playoffs, in 1986."</ref>
==Coaching career== Longo began his coaching career at Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey, taking over a team that accumulated a .217 winning percentage over the previous 33 years. At the time of his departure, Longo left as the winningest coach in school history while leading them to their first appearance in the New Jersey state playoffs and an undefeated championship season. He accepted an assistant coaching position at William Paterson as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2000. He left in 2002 to be the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at La Salle and was named the head coach of the team in 2004. As head coach of La Salle, he compiled a 7–14 record over two years before leaving to accept the offensive coordinator position at Minnesota–Duluth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Longo thinks he can build a winner at QU |url=https://www.whig.com/story/16193749/candidate-thinks-he-can-build-a-winner-at-qu |website=Herald-Whig |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> He joined the coaching staff at Southern Illinois in 2008 as the offensive coordinator. Longo joined the coaching staff at Youngstown State in 2010 as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Southern Illinois offensive coordinator, FCS head Coach Longo joins YSU staff |url=https://www.wfmj.com/story/11913676/former-southern-illinois-offensive-coordinator-fcs-head-coach-longo-joins-ysu-staff |website=WFMJ |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> Longo joined the coaching staff at Slippery Rock in 2011 as the wide receivers coach, where his wife Tanya worked as the head coach of the university's women's basketball team. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2012, and the team underwent a dramatic change in offense averaging 54.5 points a game.<ref>{{cite web |title=Slippery Rock scores points in abundance |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/college/2013/09/19/Slippery-Rock-scores-points-in-abundance/stories/201309190291 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref>
===Sam Houston State=== Longo was added to the coaching staff at Sam Houston State in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Longo, Petitte & Sherrod join Keeler's staff |url=https://gobearkats.com/news/2014/2/10/209403013.aspx |website=Sam Houston State Athletics |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> In his final year at Sam Houston State, Longo's offense was one of the most prolific offenses in FCS, averaging 547 yards a game as the Bearkats went on to a 12–1 record.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ole Miss snags Phil Longo as offensive coordinator |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/ole-miss-snags-phil-longo-as-offensive-coordinator |website=Fox Sports |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref>
===Ole Miss=== On December 15, 2016, it was reported that Longo was hired to be the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Mississippi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ole Miss hires coordinator from best FCS offense to take over in Oxford |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-reportedly-hires-coordinator-from-best-fcs-offense-to-take-over-in-oxford/ |website=CBS Sports |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> Despite averaging over 500 yards of offense per game, his offense was criticized for its inability to score in the red zone and in clutch moments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hiring Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo is a risk for UNC |url=https://www.redcuprebellion.com/2018/12/12/18136854/mack-brown-north-carolina-offensive-coordinator-hire-phil-longo |website=SBNation |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Phil Longo's departure a blessing in disguise for Ole Miss |url=https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2018/12/12/phil-longos-departure-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-ole-miss/ |website=The Oxford Eagle |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref>
===North Carolina=== Longo was named the offensive coordinator at North Carolina in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo takes same role with North Carolina |url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ole-miss-football/phil-longo-ole-miss-north-carolina-leaving-rebels/ |website=Saturday Down South |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> In his first three seasons as Tar Heel OC, Longo guided quarterback Sam Howell to multiple school records, and his offense produced multiple 1,000 yard receivers and rushers.
===Wisconsin=== On December 7, 2022, it was reported that Longo would be joining Luke Fickell's staff at Wisconsin as the offensive coordinator and QBs coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://badgerherald.com/sports/2022/12/07/football-wisconsin-to-hire-uncs-phil-longo-as-offensive-coordinator/|title=Football: Wisconsin to hire UNC’s Phil Longo as offensive coordinator|last=Harrigan|first=Same|website=badgerherald.com|publisher=The Badger Herald|date=December 7, 2022|access-date=August 28, 2023}}</ref> Longo was fired on November 17, 2024, after the Badgers started the 2024 season 5–5 (3–4 Big Ten).<ref>{{cite web |title=Fickell announces coaching change |url=https://uwbadgers.com/news/2024/11/17/football-xxxx.aspx |website=Wisconsin Badgers |access-date=17 November 2024}}</ref>
===Sam Houston State=== Longo was named head coach at Sam Houston State in December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Longo hired as Bearkat head coach|url=https://gobearkats.com/news/2024/12/18/football-longo-hired-as-bearkat-head-coach.aspx|website=gobearkats|access-date=December 30, 2024}}</ref>
==Coaching philosophy== A practitioner of the air raid offense, Longo chose to adopt the offensive system after meeting then-Kentucky offensive coordinator Mike Leach at a coaching clinic in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Small schools and full DVRs: Why Longo can win at Ole Miss |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2017/01/19/small-schools-and-full-dvrs-why-phil-longo-can-win-ole-miss/96771582/ |website=The Clarion-Ledger |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> Unlike the standard air raid offense that is pass-heavy, Longo's offense is designed so that it can be both pass or run oriented, and it's not decided which it is until the game.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Ole Miss OC Phil Longo describes his variation of the 'Air Raid' offense |url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ole-miss-football/new-ole-miss-oc-describes-his-variation-of-air-raid-offense/ |website=Saturday Down South |accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Longo and his wife, Tanya, have four children.
==Head coaching record== ===College=== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = La Salle Explorers | conf = Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | startyear = 2004 | endyear = 2005 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 2004 | name = La Salle | overall = 3–7 | conference = 1–3 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 2005 | name = La Salle | overall = 4–7 | conference = 2–2 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = La Salle | overall = 7–14 | confrecord = 3–5 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Sam Houston Bearkats | conf = Conference USA | startyear = 2025 | endyear = }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 2025 | name = Sam Houston | overall = 2–10 | conference = 1–7 | confstanding = T–11th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Sam Houston | overall = 2–10 | confrecord = 1–7 }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 9–24 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter|coachphillongo}} * [https://gobearkats.com/staff-directory/phil-longo/507 Sam Houston profile] * [https://uwbadgers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/phil-longo/2132 Wisconsin profile] * [https://goheels.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/phil-longo/3341 North Carolina profile] * [https://olemisssports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/phil-longo/274 Ole Miss profile] * [https://rockathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/phil-longo/438 Slippery Rock profile]
{{La Salle Explorers football coach navbox}} {{Sam Houston Bearkats football coach navbox}} {{Conference USA football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Longo, Phil}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:American football quarterbacks Category:American football running backs Category:East Stroudsburg Warriors football players Category:La Salle Explorers football coaches Category:Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs football coaches Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football coaches Category:Ole Miss Rebels football coaches Category:Rowan Profs football players Category:Sam Houston Bearkats football coaches Category:Slippery Rock football coaches Category:Southern Illinois Salukis football coaches Category:William Paterson Pioneers football coaches Category:Wisconsin Badgers football coaches Category:Youngstown State Penguins football coaches Category:High school football coaches in New Jersey Category:Central Regional High School alumni Category:People from Berkeley Township, New Jersey Category:Sportspeople from Red Bank, New Jersey Category:Players of American football from Ocean County, New Jersey Category:Coaches of American football from New Jersey