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Paul Longo has traded in his green for some gold.
The former William Floyd High School head football coach is now the head coach at Shoreham-Wading River.
“Shoreham is a place with such a great tradition,” Longo told Greater Long Island. “I feel like the potential is there to do really good things if we work hard.”
The Wildcats are hoping Longo can lead them back to the playoffs after finishing 3-6 last season, snapping a streak of 17 consecutive postseason appearances. Aden Smith, who led the program for the past eight seasons, retired last month.
As Greater Long Island previously reported, Longo left William Floyd in December after leading the program for 31 years.
The 68-year-old is the winningest coach in Suffolk County history, compiling a 253-67 record, including a 42-game winning streak from 2005 to 2008. Under Longo, the Colonials won five Long Island championships, the Rutgers Trophy — awarded to the most outstanding team on Long Island — three times, and posted 27 winning seasons after he took over the program in 1995.
When he stepped down, Longo said he was not ready to call it a retirement, but would only take another job if it was the right fit. Now, he takes over a Shoreham-Wading River program that has three Long Island championships on its résumé, most recently in 2016.
As for what it will feel like stepping onto a different sideline for the first time in more than three decades?
“It’s like I am in the twilight zone,” Longo said. “I sometimes think that there will be a Floyd football game and I won’t be the coach — it’s just so strange.”
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)
