SAN DIEGO -- Rocky Long, the all-time winningest coach in the Mountain West and second-winningest coach in San Diego State history, announced today that he is retiring as the head football coach at SDSU.
Long, who guided the Aztecs to an 81-38 record (.681) in nine seasons, led San Diego State to three Mountain West titles and a bowl appearance in all nine years on The Mesa.
Combined with his previous head coaching job at New Mexico from 1998-08, Long is 146-107 (.577) over his career. His 143 victories in the MW (Long's first three wins came while the Lobos were in the Western Athletic Conference) are 45 more than the No. 2 in the league. Long has been named the MW Coach of the Year three times over his career (2002 while at New Mexico, and 2012 and 2015 at SDSU).
"Obviously I've decided to retire from coaching at this point, and I want to thank everybody at this university and in this community that have allowed us to be successful," Long said. "Everybody knows that nobody does it alone and the people in the athletic department as well as the university do everything to support our athletes in order for our athletes to be successful. The culture at this school and in this athletic department is something special.
"Being able to be part of that for the last 11 years, for all those things that that seems like a long time. I've been a head coach for 20 years. It's time. It's time. I love coaching, but I don't necessarily love all the things that head coaches do."
Long, who spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Aztecs from 2009-10 prior to being named head coach, was one of just four active coaches to lead their current team to a bowl game in each of the last nine seasons, joining Alabama's Nick Saban, Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, and one of five overall to lead a team to a bowl game from 2011-19 (also James Franklin, Vanderbilt/Penn State).
Since Long took over as the defensive coordinator in 2009, San Diego State ranks 11th in rush defense (129.6) and interceptions (163), 14th in total defense (340.4), 20th in scoring defense (22.2), 22nd in turnovers caused (255) and 26th in defensive pass efficiency (122.0).
"I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to start my first year at SDSU the same year Rocky became head coach," SDSU director of athletics John David Wicker said. "I have watched as he has developed a culture within football that now permeates the entire athletic department, a culture of toughness, grit, and hard work. A mentality that given the opportunity we can and we will defeat any opponent, whether a blue blood or someone down the street. That willingness for hard work has carried over into the classroom, where Rocky's teams have consistently performed well and young men have graduated to careers into the NFL as engineers, teachers, police officers, and so many other success stories.
"I'm excited that Rocky might get to spend a little more time with his family in Durango (Colo.)."
This past season, the Aztecs finished 10-3, capped by a 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl. SDSU, which lost its three games by a combined 13 points, is one of 10 schools to win at least 10 games in four of the last five seasons.
In 2012, Long garnered his second Mountain West Coach of the Year award after guiding the Aztecs to their first conference championship since 1998 and a third straight bowl appearance. Despite a modest fifth-place prediction in the MW preseason poll, Long and SDSU closed out the regular season by winning seven consecutive games, matching the program's longest victory streak since 1980-81. During that stretch, the Aztecs ranked fifth in the nation in allowing 4.7 yards per play while limiting the opposition to 19 points or less on five occasions.
After opening the season with a 1-3 mark in 2015, SDSU ran the gamut with 10 straight wins and a spot-free 8-0 mark against MW opponents. Consequently, San Diego State earned its second Mountain West title since 2012, its first outright league championship since 1969 and the 20th conference crown in program history. The Aztecs matched a school record with their first 11-win campaign since 1969, defeating Cincinnati in the Hawai'i Bowl, 42-7, marking their sixth straight bowl game appearance.
Long's Aztecs didn't slow down in 2016. SDSU again tied the school record with another 11-win season, the fourth in school history. It was the first time in the program's 94-year history San Diego State produced back-to-back 11-win campaigns. Behind a convincing 34-10 Las Vegas Bowl win over Houston on national television, the Aztecs won consecutive bowl games for the first time in the Division I era and the first time since 1966 and 1967. Additionally, SDSU finished ranked No. 25 in the AP and Amway Coaches Poll. It was the first time the Aztecs finished in the Top 25 in the Coaches Poll for the first time since also being ranked 25th in 1986.
"So thanks for being here and thanks for the memories," Long said. "I will always be an Aztec at heart."
Prior to assuming head coaching duties at New Mexico in 1998, Long had coaching stints at UCLA (1996-97), Oregon State (1991-95), TCU (1988-90), CFL's British Columbia Lions (1986-87), Wyoming (1981-85) and New Mexico (1972-73, 1978-80).
Rocky Long Head Coaching Record
| Year | School | Record | League | Finish | Bowl Game |
| 1998 | New Mexico | 3-9 | 1-7 | 7th, WAC | |
| 1999 | New Mexico | 4-7 | 3-4 | T-5th, WAC | |
| 2000 | New Mexico | 5-7 | 3-4 | T-5th, WAC | |
| 2001 | New Mexico | 6-5 | 4-3 | T-3rd, MW | |
| 2002 | New Mexico | 7-7 | 5-2 | 2nd, MW | Las Vegas Bowl, UCLA (L, 27-13) |
| 2003 | New Mexico | 8-5 | 5-2 | 2nd, MW | Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State (L, 55-14) |
| 2004 | New Mexico | 7-5 | 5-2 | 2nd, MW | Emerald Bowl, Navy (L, 34-19) |
| 2005 | New Mexico | 6-5 | 4-4 | T-4th, MW | |
| 2006 | New Mexico | 6-7 | 4-4 | 5th, MW | New Mexico Bowl, San Jose State (L, 20-12) |
| 2007 | New Mexico | 9-4 | 5-3 | T-3rd, MW | New Mexico Bowl, Nevada (W, 23-0) |
| 2008 | New Mexico | 4-8 | 2-6 | T-6th, MW | |
| UNM | TOTALS | 65-69 | 41-41 | 1-4 | |
| 2011 | San Diego State | 8-5 | 4-3 | 4th, MW | New Orleans Bowl, La.-Lafayette (L, 32-30) |
| 2012 | San Diego State | 9-4 | 7-1 | T-1st, MW | Poinsettia Bowl, Brigham Young (L, 23-6) |
| 2013 | San Diego State | 8-5 | 6-2 | 2nd, MW-West | Idaho Bowl, Buffalo (W, 49-24) |
| 2014 | San Diego State | 7-6 | 5-3 | T-1st, MW-West | Poinsettia Bowl, Navy (L, 17-16) |
| 2015 | San Diego State | 11-3 | 8-0 | 1st, MW | Hawai'i Bowl, Cincinnati (W, 42-7) |
| 2016 | San Diego State | 11-3 | 6-2 | 1st, MW | Las Vegas Bowl, Houston (W, 35-10) |
| 2017 | San Diego State | 10-3 | 6-2 | 2nd, MW-West | Armed Forces Bowl, Army West Point (L, 42-35) |
| 2018 | San Diego State | 7-6 | 4-4 | 4th, MW-West | Frisco Bowl, Ohio (L, 27-0) |
| 2019 | San Diego State | 10-3 | 5-3 | T-1st, MW-West | New Mexico Bowl, Central Michigan (W, 48-11) |
| SDSU | TOTALS | 81-38 | 51-20 | 4-5 | |
| OVERALL | TOTALS | 146-107 | 92-61 | 5-9 |