Rocky Long

College coach infobox
Name = Rocky Long


Caption =
DateOfBirth = Birth date and age|1950|1|27|mf=y
Birthplace = Provo, Utah
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College = New Mexico
Title = Head Coach
OverallRecord = 61-61
Awards = CFL Western All-Star - 1977
Championships =
CFbDWID = 1398
Player = Y
Years = 1972-1973
1974
1975-1977
Team = British Columbia Lions- CFL
Detroit Wheels - WFL
British Columbia Lions- CFL
Position = Defensive Back
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1972-73
1974-75
1978
1979-80
1981-1985
1986-87
1988-1990
1991-1995
1996-1997
1998-Present
CoachTeams = New Mexico (GA)
Eldorado HS
New Mexico (BF)
New Mexico (SC)
Wyoming (DC)
British Columbia Lions (LB)
TCU (SC)
Oregon State (DC)
UCLA (DC)
New Mexico

FootballHOF =

Rocky Long (b. January 27, 1950, in Provo, Utah) is the current head football coach at the University of New Mexico. Long is also a former Canadian Football League (British Columbia Lions) and World Football League (Detroit Wheels) player.

Playing career

Long was the starting quarterback for the University of New Mexico Lobo 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 British Columbia 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 3 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 3 years and had one of his best years in 1975, when he intercepted a team high 8 passes for 88 yards. A Western All-Star in 1977, Long also led the team in punt returns in his last 3 years, and is still the 4th leading all-time returner, with 1946 yards on 192 punt returns, with one TD.

Coaching career

Long returned to UNM as the head football coach on December 20, 1997. His overall won-loss record through the 2007 season is 61-61, 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 University of Nevada, Reno in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=New Mexico Lobos
conf=Western Athletic Conference
startyear=1998
endyear=1998CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1998
name = New Mexico
overall = 3–9
conference = 1–7
confstanding = 7th*CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=New Mexico Lobos
conf=Mountain West Conference
startyear=1999
endyear=CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1999
name = New Mexico
overall = 4–7
conference = 3–4
confstanding = T–5thCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2000
name = New Mexico
overall = 5–7
conference = 3–4
confstanding = T–5thCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2001
name = New Mexico
overall = 6–5
conference = 4–3
confstanding = T–3rd
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2002
name = New Mexico
overall = 7–7
conference = 5–2
confstanding = 2nd
bowl = yes
bowlname = Las Vegas
bowloutcome = LCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2003
name = New Mexico
overall = 8–5
conference = 5–2
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Las Vegas
bowloutcome = LCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2004
name = New Mexico
overall = 7–5
conference = 5–2
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Emerald
bowloutcome = LCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2005
name = New Mexico
overall = 6–5
conference = 4–4
confstanding = T–4thCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2006
name = New Mexico
overall = 6–7
conference = 4–4
confstanding = 5th
bowlname = New Mexico
bowloutcome = LCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2007
name = New Mexico
overall = 9–4
conference = 5–3
confstanding = T–3rd
bowlname = New Mexico
bowloutcome = WCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=New Mexico
overall=61–61
confrecord=38–28(*) Pacific standingCFB Yearly Record End
overall = 61–61
bcs = no


poll = no

Personal

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

External links

* [http://golobos.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/long_rocky00.html Official UNM Athletics Rocky Long Profile]
* [http://golobos.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112506aaa.html Lobos Headed to New Mexico Bowl]