Wisconsin fires offensive coordinator Phil Longo in midst of second season of operating Air Raid with Badgers

Wisconsin fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo. The varsity introduced Sunday that Longo had been relieved of his duties, simply at some point after the Badgers’ 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon. 

Longo was in his second 12 months with this system. Wisconsin dropped to 5-5 on the 12 months, with a 3-4 file within the Massive Ten after falling at house to the Geese. 

“This morning, I knowledgeable Phil Longo that he’ll not function our offensive coordinator,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell mentioned in a press release. “After persevering with to judge this system, I made a decision we’re not the place we must be and consider this resolution is in one of the best curiosity of the crew. I admire Phil’s dedication to serving to us construct our program over the previous two seasons and want him effectively shifting ahead. This crew nonetheless has loads in entrance of us and I’m dedicated to doing all the pieces we are able to to shut out this season with success.”  

Longo was seen as an revolutionary rent when Fickel added him to his first workers with the Badgers. Longo, a former offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and North Carolina, introduced an Air Raid system to a Wisconsin program that has historically centered extra on a ground-and-pound method. It hasn’t fairly labored out.

Ten video games into the 2024 season, Wisconsin ranks ninth within the Massive Ten in whole offense (363.1 yards per recreation) and eleventh in scoring (23.9 factors per recreation). Longo’s offense put up comparable numbers — 381.2 yards per recreation and 23.5 factors per recreation — in 2023. 

The Badgers have failed to attain greater than 13 factors in every of their final three video games although, and so they’ve solely eclipsed 20 factors towards 4 Energy 4 opponents this 12 months. Attributable to damage, Longo by no means bought the prospect to work with a constant quarterback throughout his time in Madison. 

Former Miami switch Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL three video games into the 12 months, which signifies that the Badgers needed to flip to redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke. In seven begins, Locke has accomplished 55.8% of his passes for 1,514 yards and 9 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. 

Wisconsin is one win away from reaching a bowl recreation in every of its first two full years beneath Fickell. The Badgers shut the 12 months on the street towards Nebraska and at house towards Minnesota.