Sam Houston fired head football coach Phil Longo amid a 1-7 start to the season, the school announced Wednesday. Longo went 3-17 over his two seasons leading the program, including a 1-11 record in Conference USA play and nine straight losses to FBS opponents.
Associate head coach Eric Raisbeck and defensive coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as interim co-head coaches. Athletic director Bobby Williams said in a statement that the school appreciated Longo's work with student-athletes. Williams said a change in leadership was needed to help the team compete consistently in Conference USA.
Longo was hired to replace K.C. Keeler, who led the program from 2014 to 2024 and left for the head coaching job at Temple. The Bearkats are idle this week and play at Jacksonville State on Nov. 7.