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Phil Longo
Biographical details
Born (1968-04-17) April 17, 1968 (age 56)
Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
Playing career
1987East Stroudsburg
1988–1991Rowan
Position(s)Quarterback, running back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1999Parsippany Hills HS (NJ)
2000–2001William Paterson (AHC/OC)
2002–2003La Salle (AHC/OC)
2004–2005La Salle
2006–2007Minnesota Duluth (OC)
2008–2009Southern Illinois (OC)
2010Youngstown State (WR/RC)
2011Slippery Rock (WR)
2012–2013Slippery Rock (OC/QB)
2014–2016Sam Houston State (OC/QB)
2017–2018Ole Miss (OC/QB)
2019–2022North Carolina (OC/QB)
2023–2024Wisconsin (OC/QB)
Head coaching record
Overall7–14 (college)

Phil Longo (born April 17, 1968) is an American football coach. He was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Wisconsin Badgers. A practitioner of the air raid offense, he was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for North Carolina, Ole Miss and Sam Houston.

Early life and playing career

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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.[1]

Coaching career

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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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

Sam Houston State

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Longo was added to the coaching staff at Sam Houston State in 2014.[5] 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.[6]

Ole Miss

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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.[7] 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.[8][9]

North Carolina

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Longo was named the offensive coordinator at North Carolina in 2019.[10] 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

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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. [11]Longo was fired on November 17, 2024, after the Badgers started the 2024 season 5–5 (3–4 Big Ten).[12]

Coaching philosophy

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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.[13] 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.[14]

Personal life

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Longo and his wife, Tanya, have four children.

Head coaching record

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College

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
La Salle Explorers (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (2004–2005)
2004 La Salle 3–7 1–3 T–3rd
2005 La Salle 4–7 2–2 T–3rd
La Salle: 7–14 3–5
Total: 7–14

References

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  1. ^ "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."
  2. ^ "Longo thinks he can build a winner at QU". Herald-Whig. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "Former Southern Illinois offensive coordinator, FCS head Coach Longo joins YSU staff". WFMJ. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "Slippery Rock scores points in abundance". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  5. ^ "Longo, Petitte & Sherrod join Keeler's staff". Sam Houston State Athletics. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ole Miss snags Phil Longo as offensive coordinator". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "Ole Miss hires coordinator from best FCS offense to take over in Oxford". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  8. ^ "Hiring Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo is a risk for UNC". SBNation. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Phil Longo's departure a blessing in disguise for Ole Miss". The Oxford Eagle. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  10. ^ "Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo takes same role with North Carolina". Saturday Down South. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Harrigan, Same (December 7, 2022). "Football: Wisconsin to hire UNC's Phil Longo as offensive coordinator". badgerherald.com. The Badger Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "Fickell announces coaching change". Wisconsin Badgers. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Small schools and full DVRs: Why Longo can win at Ole Miss". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "New Ole Miss OC Phil Longo describes his variation of the 'Air Raid' offense". Saturday Down South. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
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