Rocky Long

Rocky Long
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	San Diego State
Conference	MWC
Record	8–5
Biographical details
Born	January 27, 1950 (1950-01-27) Provo, Utah
Playing career
1969–1971 1972–1973 1974 1975–1977	New Mexico BC Lions Detroit Wheels BC Lions
Position(s)	Defensive back, quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972–1973 1974–1975 1978 1979–1980 1981–1985 1986–1987 1988–1990 1991–1995 1996–1997 1998–2008 2008–2010 2011–present	New Mexico (GA) Eldorado HS (NM) New Mexico (offensive backfield) New Mexico (DB) Wyoming (DC) BC Lions (LB) TCU (DB) Oregon State (DC) UCLA (DC) New Mexico San Diego State (DC) San Diego State
Head coaching record
Overall	73–74
Bowls	1–6
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Awards CFL Western All-Star (1977)

Rocky Long (born January 27, 1950) is the head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs college football team, and was promoted on January 12, 2011 from defensive coordinator to replace Brady Hoke. Long was previously the head coach at the University of New Mexico, having resigned that position in November 2008. Long is also a former Canadian Football League (BC Lions) and World Football League (Detroit Wheels) player.

Playing career

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 in 1971. His professional career began with the BC Lions in 1972, with whom he would play 68 games in total. In 1974 he departed to the Detroit Wheels of the up-start 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 CFL 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

Long returned to UNM as the head football coach on December 20, 1997. His overall won-loss record through the 2008 season is 65-69, including 43-31 since 2001, the best five-year stretch for Lobo football in over forty years. He is the most successful head coach in New Mexico Football history, passing Roy Johnson during the 2005 season.

He led the Lobos to three straight post-season bowl games (2003–05) for the first time in school history and the Lobos have been bowl-eligible for seven straight seasons, another record. This streak continued into the 2007 season as the Lobos accepted a bid to the New Mexico Bowl. He garnered his first bowl win as Lobo coach by defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl.

After 11 seasons, and an over-all losing record, of coaching at UNM, Long decided to resign on November 17, 2008, two days after the Lobos' regular 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 wants to continue to coach as a coordinator. In 2011, he was promoted to head coach at San Diego State after two seasons as their defensive coordinator.

In 2011, when Boise State University joined the Mountain West Conference, Rocky Long led the charge against allowing Boise State from where blue uniforms on their infamous all blue turf, also known as the "Smurf Turf." The Mountain West Conference ultimately acquiesced to the request. This action has caused little controversy; however, does raise questions regarding other football teams who wear all green while playing on green turf.

Personal life

Long and his wife, Debby, have two daughters, Roxanne and Hannah, who are also coaches.

Head coaching record

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–present)
2011	San Diego State	8–5	4–3	4th	L New Orleans
San Diego State:		8–5	4–3
Total:		73-74
#Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll.

External links

• New Mexico profile