Sam Houston fires head coach Phil Longo amid disastrous 20-game stretch

Phil Longo. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sam Houston fires head coach Phil Longo amid disastrous 20-game stretch

By Pearson Gillam | Last updated Oct 28, 2026 6:39 PM ET

Less than 24 hours after Sam Houston was pummeled by Missouri State 24-3 and fell to 1-7 on the season, the Bearkats fired head coach Phil Longo. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the news Wednesday afternoon.

The decision comes after a 20-game stretch under Longo, in which Sam Houston went 3-17 and won just one Conference USA game. Longo was the offensive coordinator for the Bearkats from 2014-16, when they won the Southland Conference twice and reached No. 1 in the FCS rankings.

After coordinating stints at Ole Miss, North Carolina and Wisconsin, Longo returned to Huntsville, Texas, in December 2024 to be the coach during tough times. Sam Houston played no true home games in 2025 because of renovations and is still adjusting to the FBS level.

The program looked like it was taking steps backward, however, and needed to make a change. Under Longo, the offense ranked last in the C-USA for offensive scoring and average amount of yards per game.

Sam Houston has fired coach Phil Longo. Sam Houston finished 2–10 in 2025 and are 1–7 in 2026, bringing the program's record under Longo to 3–17 overall and 1–11 in Conference USA. pic.twitter.com/GPogo9BrKF
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 28, 2026

Who will coach Sam Houston for the rest of the season?

Associate head coach and special teams coordinator Eric Raisbeck and defensive coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as interim co-head coaches. Raisbeck tagged along with Longo from Wisconsin, while Aughtry-Lindsay worked with Longo at Slippery Rock in 2011 and Ole Miss in 2018 before separating for a five-year stint at NC State.

The Bearkats will begin a new era when they visit Jacksonville State on Nov. 7.

Pearson Gillam

I am a writer from Atlanta, Georgia, who attends Oklahoma State University. I am majoring in Sports Media and have experience covering the school's track and field team for the local newspaper. I have expertise in college football and college basketball, but I also enjoy the NFL, cross-country running, and track and field.

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