Sam Houston fired head coach Phil Longo on Wednesday after the Bearkats dropped to 1-7 with a 24-3 loss to Missouri State. The move ends a tenure of just 20 games that produced a 3-17 overall record and a 1-11 mark in Conference USA play. Athletic director Bobby Williams stated that Longo contributed as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, but a change is necessary to position the program to compete consistently in Conference USA.