Ole Miss has hired Sam Houston State offensive coordinator Phil Longo to fill the same position for the Rebels, according to a report from Bruce Feldman of Fox.
Longo led one of the most prolific offenses in the FCS this past season, as the Bearkats were ranked first in total offense. Longo’s name emerged in the days after Ole Miss announced that Dan Werner would not return for the 2017 season. Werner was the Rebels’ OC for all five seasons of Hugh Freeze’s tenure.
Longo runs an air raid-type system that is fast-paced. His system stems from the Washington State head coach Mike Leach tree, with some intricacies and wrinkles that Longo has implemented. Sam Houston State threw for 368 yards per game last year but also averaged 179 yards on the ground, which is more balanced than a typical air raid attack. Ole Miss ranked 97th in the FBS in rushing and 12th in the SEC.
The Bearkats averaged 547 yards offense per game in 2016 and gained 7.2 yards per play. Sam Houston State ran the ball 447 times for 2327 yards, which was good for 5.2 yards per play. It threw the ball 546 times, completing 333 of them for 4,788 yards.
In his first two seasons at Sam Houston State, his offense racked up 15,128 yards of total offense (22,243 total in three seasons). This past season, the Bearkats went undefeated in the regular season but were blown out by James Madison 65-7 in the FCS playoffs. Longo has made stops at Southern Illinois and Youngstown State in the FCS, and he coached in Division II prior to that.
Longo is the first coordinator hire that Freeze has made since bringing Werner and former defensive coordinator Dave Wommack with him to Oxford when he got the job in 2011. It was announced before Ole Miss’ 55-20 loss in the Egg Bowl that Wommack would not return next season. The Rebels have yet to hire a defensive coordinator.
Feldman also reported that Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin is leaving to join his brother Lane’s staff at Florida Atlantic. It was announced Tuesday that Lane Kiffin had taken the job to become Owls’ next head coach.
Additionally, FootballScoop has reported that in addition to the hiring of Longo, Ole Miss plans to hire Auburn secondary coach/co-defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff as its defensive coordinator. McGriff coached defensive backs at Ole Miss in 2012.
