Phil Longo

Phil Longo (born April 17, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A practitioner of the air raid offense, he was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Ole Miss.

Phil Longo
Current position
TitleOffensive coordinator
TeamNorth Carolina
ConferenceACC
Biographical details
Born (1968-04-17) April 17, 1968
Red Bank, New Jersey
Playing career
1987East Stroudsburg
1988–1991Rowan
Position(s)Quarterback, Running back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1999Parsippany Hills HS
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–presentNorth Carolina (OC/QB)
Head coaching record
Overall7–14 (college)

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]

Sam Houston State

Longo was added to the coaching staff at Sam Houston State in 2014.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7][8]

North Carolina

Longo was named the offensive coordinator at North Carolina in 2019.[9]

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.[10] 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 that it's not decided which it is until the game.[11]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
La Salle Explorers (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (2004–2005)
2004 La Salle 3–71–3T–3rd
2005 La Salle 4–72–2T–3rd
La Salle: 7–143–5
Total:7–14

Personal life

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.[12] Longo and his wife Tanya have four children.

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