Wisconsin Badgers fire Phil Longo as offensive coordinator and social media has comments
Phil Longo's passing-friendly "Air Raid" system was supposed to bring Wisconsin up to speed in college football's current run-pass option world. But his RPO-heavy attack never seemed to be the right fit in Madison.
Longo was fired Sunday with two games remaining on the Badgers regular-season schedule. The Badgers were 7-6 last season and are 5-5 in 2024 after a rough 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon Saturday night.
The offense has been held to 13 or fewer points in its last three games (all losses) and quarterback Braedyn Locke has struggled after the Badgers lost starting signal-caller Tyler Van Dyke due to a knee injury in a 42-10 defeat to then-No. 4 Alabama.
Here's a bit of reaction after the announcement of Longo's dismissal:
If you bring the Air Raid to Madison of all places, you *better* be lighting up the scoreboard.
Wisconsin was not, to put it lightly.
That's the Phil Longo experience in a nutshell.— Paul Harvey 🔨 (@HammerHarvey) November 17, 2024
Luke Fickell to Phil Longo pic.twitter.com/uocxqoTVml
— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) November 17, 2024
PHIL LONGO IS UNEMPLOYED pic.twitter.com/1CSgNaVdCV
— Blake R. Weiner (@BlakeWeiner) November 17, 2024
Anyone else notice how the Wisconsin offense comes alive when the O-line dominates with a power run game and they control the clock? And every time Phil Longo leans into RPO Air Raid, it stalls—exposing the lack of a competent QB & elite playmakers to execute it at a high level. https://t.co/pRPc3fmACf
— Wisconsinsane (@wisconsinsane) November 17, 2024
Never forgive Phil Longo https://t.co/uZNa180UhI
— Peter Hofmann (@Hoflax24) November 17, 2024
It wasn't a Phil Longo issue, it's a Braedyn Locke issue
— Austin Puyleart (@austin_puyleart) November 17, 2024
I think #Badgers OC Phil Longo has struggled during his time in Madison, but Braedyn Locke has to put the ball on the mark. That throw to Walker in the EZ wasn't close.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) November 17, 2024
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Badgers fire Phil Longo and social media has comments
