Former Wisconsin Badgers offensive coordinator Phil Longo has seen his Sam Houston Bearkats struggle on the field. The team entered Thursday’s game against New Mexico State with a 0-4 record and was ranked No. 1 in ESPN's Bottom 10 ranking last Wednesday. That's not a list you want to be first in.
However, the Bearkats were 1.5-point favorites on the road in Las Cruces. Surely, Longo was due for his first win this season to quiet the doubters, right?
Longo’s Sam Houston Bearkats are now 0-5 on the season.
Wrong. It was another double-digit loss for Longo’s Bearkats, as the NMSU Aggies surged in the fourth quarter to keep Sam Houston winless, 37-10. Three turnovers doomed the Bearkats in their loss on Thursday, with the final blow being a 71-yard pick-six by Aggies safety Naeten Michell.
NAETEN MITCHELL PICK 6@NMStateFootball pic.twitter.com/kZkPJnaXAH
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 3, 2025
With the Bearkats allowing 442.3 yards per game on defense, good for 134th in total defense, it’s tough to see if Longo will earn his first win in 2025. Should the Bearkats finish with a wretched 0-12 season, calls to fire Longo will start to grow.
But how much will Sam Houston owe Longo if they decide to make a change at the head coaching position? According to Ravi Shankar of Pro Football and Sports Network (PFSN), Sam Houston has not publicly disclosed Longo’s buyout in his current contract. However, Longo earns $700,000 this season, with a $25,000 annual raise. Should Longo continue to coach until the end of his contract in August 2029, Longo’s salary will be $775,000.
PFSN’s analytics predict that Longo’s Bearkats will win three games this season, but ESPN Analytics has Sam Houston as the underdog for the rest of the year. Whichever way you slice it, Longo’s inaugural season as head coach in 2025 has been a disaster.
And a winless season is on the table for the former Wisconsin Badger offensive coordinator.