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Paul Longo may have stepped down as William Floyd’s football coach after last season, but his name will forever be part of the program he helped build into a Long Island powerhouse.
The football field in Mastic Beach where he built his legacy will soon bear his name.
Longo spent 31 seasons leading the Colonials, compiling a 253-67 record and becoming the winningest public high school football coach in Suffolk County history.
When he took over in 1995, William Floyd had never won a playoff game. Under Longo, the Colonials captured 15 Suffolk County championships and five Long Island titles.
His teams made 26 playoff appearances and reached the county championship game 21 times.
Perhaps his greatest run came between 2005 and 2008, when the Colonials won 42 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in Suffolk County history. In 2007, Sports Illustrated ranked William Floyd No. 20 in the nation.
“It is an honor to have the William Floyd field named in my honor,” Longo told Greater Long Island. “We had so many great championships and memories. I am proud of the work we did to build William Floyd football into a top-notch program.”
Three of Longo’s players went on to win the Hansen Award, given annually to Suffolk County’s top high school football player: Brock Jackolski in 2007, Stacey Bedell in 2011 and Ja’Quan Thomas in 2025.
“I have to thank my coaches, the school administration, the parents, the support staff, the youth league and, most of all, the hard-working players,” Longo said.
Longo’s impact on the William Floyd school community extended beyond football. He spent 30 years as a guidance counselor at William Paca Middle School and another three years as dean of students at William Floyd High School.
He was inducted into the William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
After leaving the Colonials last December, Longo was named head football coach at Shoreham-Wading River in January.
The field-naming ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at William Floyd’s football field on Lincoln Avenue, ahead of the Colonials’ game against Walt Whitman.
Top: Paul Longo receiving his Hall of Fame plaque from Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame executive director Chris Vaccaro. Photo credit: Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame
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