Sam Houston announced Wednesday that Phil Longo will no longer serve as head coach of the Bearkats, effective immediately.
Longo, hired in December 2024 to replace K.C. Keeler (who left for Temple), finishes with a 3–17 overall record and 1–11 mark in Conference USA. The Bearkats went 2–10 in 2025 and are 1–7 in 2026.
“Phil has contributed to Bearkat football as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, and we appreciate his work with our student-athletes,” athletic director Bobby Williams said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to evaluate the program’s performance and direction. After careful review, I believe a change in leadership is necessary to position Bearkat Football to compete consistently in Conference USA and meet the expectations of our student-athletes, university and supporters.”
Associate head coach/special teams coordinator Eric Raisbeck and defensive coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as interim co-head coaches for the remainder of the season. The school said it will share additional information as plans for the program are finalized.
Longo returned to Huntsville after a highly successful prior stint as the Bearkats’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2014–16. In that role he helped guide Sam Houston to a 34–10 record, two Southland Conference titles, multiple FCS playoff appearances, and a No. 1 ranking, and was named the 2016 FootballScoop FCS Coordinator of the Year. He later held offensive coordinator positions at Ole Miss (2017–18), North Carolina (2019–22), and Wisconsin (2023–24), developing quarterbacks including Drake Maye and Sam Howell while implementing Air Raid concepts.
Raisbeck joined Longo’s staff in 2025 after previous stops that included Wisconsin and Penn State. Aughtry-Lindsay, also hired by Longo, came from NC State (where he served as interim defensive coordinator in the 2024 Military Bowl) and had previously worked with Longo at Slippery Rock and Ole Miss.
The move comes amid a difficult stretch for a program that had established itself as a Conference USA contender under Keeler before the coaching change. Sam Houston’s most recent results include losses to Western Kentucky, New Mexico State, and Missouri State.