Sam Houston have moved on from Phil Longo effective immediately, ending his second stint with the Bearkats after a difficult run that left the program at 3–17 under his leadership. The decision comes less than two seasons after Longo was hired back in December 2024 to replace K.C. Keeler.
The move is a sharp one, but it is also a clear one. Sam Houston said the change was made after careful review of the program's direction, with vice president and director of athletics Bobby Williams stressing that the Bearkats need to position themselves to compete consistently in Conference USA.
Why Sam Houston made the change
Longo was not arriving in Huntsville cold. He had previously worked at Sam Houston as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2014 to 2016, a spell that helped build his ties to the program before his return as head coach. But the results did not follow on this second appointment.
Sam Houston went 2–10 in 2025 and are 1–7 in 2026, leaving the Bearkats well short of the standard the university said it expects. Bobby Williams said the school appreciated Longo's work with the student-athletes, but added that a change in leadership was necessary to give the program the best chance to compete at the level required.
A return that never settled
Longo's hiring in December 2024 carried the sense of a reunion, with the program leaning on a coach who knew the place and had once been part of a successful stretch there. Sam Houston had been a Conference USA contender under K.C. Keeler, and the expectation was that the new era would at least preserve that edge.
Instead, the record told the story. A 3–17 mark is hard to escape in any setting, and at a program with recent ambition it becomes even more damaging. The Bearkats now face the rest of the season with a leadership change already made and the longer-term task of restoring stability.
What happens next?
Sam Houston did not announce a permanent replacement in the statement provided. What is clear is that the Bearkats have chosen to reset now rather than wait for the end of the year. For Longo, the second chapter at Sam Houston is over, and for the program the focus turns immediately to how it finishes 2026 and who will guide it beyond that.
