Dec. 17, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Chuck Long, who has a national championship ring, five top-six finishes in the national polls and 10 appearances in bowl games as products of an impressive 11 seasons as a collegiate assistant coach, has been named the 16th head football coach at San Diego State, athletic director Jeff Schemmel announced Saturday.
Long, who signed a five-year contract, spent the last six seasons at Oklahoma with the last four as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. At Oklahoma, Long was an integral part of the Sooners' success, helping guide Oklahoma to a 67-11 record since 2000 and berths in six consecutive bowl games. A 2004 finalist for the Broyles Award for the nation's top assistant coach, he has served on the staffs of College Football Hall of Fame member Hayden Fry and national coach of the year Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, as well as two-time national coach of the year Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.
"It is an honor and privilege to be part of San Diego State football," Long said. "I am excited for the opportunity and look forward to a great situation in which we can take San Diego State to great heights in football. I want us to be a class program along the way. I want to thank President (Stephen) Weber and Jeff Schemmel for a well executed plan on their part. They have been forthright and honest all the way through. I respect that and know that we will work well together."
"We are thrilled to land one of the top college football coaches in the country," Schemmel said. "Chuck brings experience, success and energy to San Diego State."
San Diego State University President Stephen Weber was involved with the search process and pleased with the results.
"Jeff Schemmel has done a great job in running a fast-track, national search that has produced an excellent outcome for our university and for Aztec football fans everywhere," Weber said. "Chuck Long was our top choice. I am very pleased that he has agreed to join our Aztec team. Coach Long has a national reputation growing out of quality experience with a stable, successful program at Oklahoma. He has the personal values and qualities which are essential to building a winning football program. His knowledge of California and his experience recruiting here are big pluses. I am confident we have a great coach who will be an asset to our football team, a valued colleague in our athletics program, and a friend to SDSU and the greater community of San Diego."
Arriving on the Oklahoma campus in December of 1999, Long and the Sooners have won a national championship (2000), three Big 12 championships (2000, 2002, 2004) and four Big 12 South Division titles (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004). Since becoming offensive coordinator in 2002, he has coached three players who have finished in the top three of the Heisman balloting, including 2003 Heisman recipient quarterback Jason White.
Since joining the Sooner staff, Long has coached eight offensive players who earned All-America accolades and 17 players who earned first-team all-conference honors. In the past six years, his players have won a Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Memorial Award (college player of the year), Walter Camp Trophy (college player of the year), two Davey O'Brien Awards (outstanding quarterback), Outland Trophy (outstanding interior lineman), Unitas Award (outstanding senior quarterback), two Associated Press Player of the Year awards, two The Sporting News Player of the Year honors and a CBS Player of the Year accolade.
Long has been a winner - as a player and a coach - at every level, and has received national attention for his ability to develop players. He has helped numerous future National Football League players, including 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White, Rose Bowl most valuable player Nate Hybl, and Walter Camp Player of the Year Josh Heupel.
A consensus All-American quarterback at the University of Iowa, Long was a four-year starter for the Hawkeyes. He guided Iowa to bowl games in each of his four seasons in Iowa City, and won two Big Ten championships (1981 and 1985). As a senior, he led Iowa to a No. 1 national ranking and in so doing, earned the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Awards. He was the Big Ten Male Athlete and football player of the year and was runner-up to Auburn's Bo Jackson for the Heisman Trophy in the closest finish in the history of the award in 1985.
He became the first player in Big Ten history to surpass 10,000 yards passing and still holds Hawkeye career records for passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. He was inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Collegiate Hall of Fame in 1999.
Following a stellar collegiate career, Long played professionally for the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams from 1986 through 1994, logging eight seasons in the NFL.
Long's coaching career began at his alma mater, when he was hired by his former college coach Hayden Fry as a secondary coach in 1995. In 1998, he switched to the other side of the ball, becoming the first quarterbacks coach in Fry's 20-year tenure. Long remained on staff through the transition from Fry to Kirk Ferentz in 1999.
In December of 1999, Long accepted a position as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Bob Stoops' staff at Oklahoma. He was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2002. He has played a major role in the Sooners' recruiting efforts in six states including California, Arizona and Texas.
Long was born on February 18, 1963, in Wheaton, Ill. After graduating from North (Wheaton, Ill.) High School, he earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa in 1985.
Long and his wife Lisa have five children, Lindsay, Samantha, Nathan, Zachary and Katherine.