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Rocky Long

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Rocky Long
Long at 2016 Mountain West Media Days
Biographical details
Born (1950-01-27) January 27, 1950 (age 74)
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Alma materNew Mexico (BEd)
Playing career
1969–1971New Mexico
1972–1973BC Lions
1974Detroit Wheels
1975–1976BC Lions
Position(s)Defensive back, quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972–1973New Mexico (GA)
1974–1975Eldorado HS (NM) (assistant)
1978New Mexico (OB)
1979–1980New Mexico (DB)
1981–1985Wyoming (DC/DB)
1986–1987BC Lions (LB)
1988–1990TCU (DB)
1991–1995Oregon State (DC/DB)
1996–1997UCLA (DC)
1998–2008New Mexico
2009–2010San Diego State (DC)
2011–2019San Diego State
2020–2022New Mexico (DC/LB)
2023Syracuse (DC)
Head coaching record
Overall146–107
Bowls5–9
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 MWC (2012, 2015, 2016)
Awards
  • MW Coach of the Year (2002)
  • CFL Western All-Star (1977)

Roderick John Long Jr. (born January 27, 1950) is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive coordinator at Syracuse. Prior to being hired by Syracuse, Long was the defensive coordinator at New Mexico. He played professionally with BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Detroit Wheels of World Football League (WFL).

Long is known for his successful adaptation of a modified 3–3–5 defensive scheme.[1][2][3]

Playing career

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Long was the starting quarterback for the New Mexico Lobos football team from 1969 to 1971, recording consecutive winning seasons and earning player-of-the-year honors in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 1971. His professional career began with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1972, with which he played 68 games in total. In 1974, he departed to the Detroit Wheels of the World Football League (WFL). That year, he intercepted three passes for 38 return yards, and returned 20 punts for 217 yards and 14 kickoffs for 402 yards. He returned to the Lions for three years and had one of his best years in 1975, when he intercepted a team high eight passes for 88 yards. A Western All-Star in 1977, Long also led the team in punt returns in his last three years, and is still the fourth leading all-time returner, with 1946 yards on 192 punt returns, with one touchdown.

Coaching career

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Long began developing his version of the 3–3–5 defensive scheme during his stint as the defensive coordinator at Oregon State.[1]

Long returned to New Mexico as the head football coach on December 20, 1997. His overall won-loss record was 65–69 in 11 seasons. His 65 wins are the most of any head coach in program history. Long surpassed Roy W. Johnson's mark of 41 wins during the 2005 season.

Long led the Lobos to three straight bowl games from 2003 to 2005, a first in program history. The Lobos were bowl-eligible for seven straight seasons, from 2001 to 2007, another program record. This streak continued into the 2007 season as the Lobos accepted a bid to the New Mexico Bowl, where Long garnered his bowl win with a victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack.

After an 11-season career, Long resigned on November 17, 2008, two days after the Lobos' regular game season ended. Long cited that he was not the right person to lead the program to newer heights. He added that he had no plans of retirement, and that he wanted to continue to coach as a coordinator.[4] In 2011, he was promoted to head coach at San Diego State after two seasons as their defensive coordinator.

In 2020, Long resigned from San Diego State, and Brady Hoke was named as his replacement.[5] He left San Diego State with 81 wins, second all time in wins behind Don Coryell.[6] Soon after his resignation from SDSU, the University of New Mexico announced Long would be returning to the Lobos to take over as their defensive coordinator under new coach Danny Gonzales, a former player and assistant coach under Long at UNM as well as SDSU.[7][8]

In 2022, Long was hired at Syracuse University as the defensive coordinator under Dino Babers.[9][10]

Personal life

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Long and his wife, Debby, have two daughters, Roxanne and Hannah, who are also coaches. Roxanne is the former women's basketball program head coach at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma,[11] and Hannah is the women's volleyball program head coach at Queens University of Charlotte.[12]

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
New Mexico Lobos (Western Athletic Conference) (1998)
1998 New Mexico 3–9 1–7 7th (Pacific)
New Mexico Lobos (Mountain West Conference) (1999–2008)
1999 New Mexico 4–7 3–4 T–5th
2000 New Mexico 5–7 3–4 T–5th
2001 New Mexico 6–5 4–3 T–3rd
2002 New Mexico 7–7 5–2 2nd L Las Vegas
2003 New Mexico 8–5 5–2 2nd L Las Vegas
2004 New Mexico 7–5 5–2 2nd L Emerald
2005 New Mexico 6–5 4–4 T–4th
2006 New Mexico 6–7 4–4 5th L New Mexico
2007 New Mexico 9–4 5–3 T–3rd W New Mexico
2008 New Mexico 4–8 2–6 7th
New Mexico: 65–69 40–34
San Diego State Aztecs (Mountain West Conference) (2011–2019)
2011 San Diego State 8–5 4–3 4th L New Orleans
2012 San Diego State 9–4 7–1 T–1st L Poinsettia
2013 San Diego State 8–5 6–2 2nd (West) W Famous Idaho Potato
2014 San Diego State 7–6 5–3 T–1st (West) L Poinsettia
2015 San Diego State 11–3 8–0 1st (West) W Hawaii
2016 San Diego State 11–3 6–2 1st (West) W Las Vegas 25 25
2017 San Diego State 10–3 6–2 2nd (West) L Armed Forces
2018 San Diego State 7–6 4–4 4th (West) L Frisco
2019 San Diego State 10–3 5–3 T–1st (West) W New Mexico
San Diego State: 81–38 51–20
Total: 146–107
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ a b Alandt, Anthony; Miller, Wyatt (August 31, 2023). "THE GODFATHER: Syracuse's new DC pioneered its go-to defensive set". The Daily Orange. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Boyd, Ian (July 5, 2017). "The Aztec defender". Football Study Hall. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Harris, Jack (September 14, 2018). "Origin story of the 3-3-5 defense employed by ASU and SDSU". 247Sports. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "New Mexico's winningest coach Long steps down".
  5. ^ Kenney, Kirk (January 8, 2020). "Aztecs' Rocky Long to resign; Brady Hoke will be head coach". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "San Diego State coach Rocky Long retires from position, Brady Hoke takes over Aztecs' program". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Former San Diego State coach Rocky Long returns to New Mexico to serve as Lobos DC".
  8. ^ "Rocky Long returning to Lobos as defensive coordinator - Albuquerque Journal".
  9. ^ "Defensive Innovator Rocky Long Named New 'Cuse DC". Syracuse University Athletics. December 17, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Wright, Rick (December 17, 2022). "Rocky Long leaving UNM football for Syracuse". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "Rogers St". Archived from the original on June 19, 2013.
  12. ^ "2016 Women's Volleyball Coaching Staff".
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