After falling to 1-7 (0-4), Sam Houston knew they had to move on from Phil Longo.

The former Wisconsin Badgers offensive coordinator was let go on Wednesday, Oct. 28, after the Bearkats suffered a Tuesday night loss to Missouri State, 24-3.

Longo was with UW from 2023-24, and even though he may not have had the most successful tenure with the Badgers, it was good enough for Sam Houston to give him a shot to be their head coach.

After a year and a half, they fired him, and his 3-17 overall record. Sam Houston went just 1-11 in Conference USA play under Longo.

Sam Houston has four games remaining this season, but had 10 full days between the Missouri State and Jacksonville State games, so this felt like an appropriate time to make a move.

Longo officially falls to 10-31 as a college football head coach, and it's safe to say that the 58-year-old's return not only to head coaching but also to the Bearkats did not go according to plan.

Sam Houston went 12-1 in Longo's final year as an assistant in 2016. For reference, they've won just 12 regular-season games combined since Nov. 29, 2024, nine of which came in that 2024 season when Longo was still with the Badgers.