Wisconsin fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo. The college introduced Sunday that Longo had been relieved of his duties, simply at some point after the Badgers’ 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon.
Longo was in his second 12 months with this system. Wisconsin dropped to 5-5 on the 12 months, with a 3-4 document within the Large Ten after falling at dwelling to the Geese.
“This morning, I knowledgeable Phil Longo that he’ll now not function our offensive coordinator,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell mentioned in an announcement. “After persevering with to judge this system, I made a decision we’re not the place we should be and imagine this resolution is in the perfect curiosity of the workforce. I recognize Phil’s dedication to serving to us construct our program over the previous two seasons and need him nicely shifting ahead. This workforce nonetheless has quite a bit in entrance of us and I’m dedicated to doing all the things we will to shut out this season with success.”
Longo was seen as an progressive rent when Fickel added him to his first employees with the Badgers. Longo, a former offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and North Carolina, introduced an Air Raid system to a Wisconsin program that has historically targeted extra on a ground-and-pound strategy. It hasn’t fairly labored out.
Ten video games into the 2024 season, Wisconsin ranks ninth within the Large Ten in whole offense (363.1 yards per recreation) and eleventh in scoring (23.9 factors per recreation). Longo’s offense put up comparable numbers — 381.2 yards per recreation and 23.5 factors per recreation — in 2023.
The Badgers have failed to attain greater than 13 factors in every of their final three video games although, and so they’ve solely eclipsed 20 factors in opposition to 4 Energy 4 opponents this 12 months. As a consequence of harm, Longo by no means bought the prospect to work with a constant quarterback throughout his time in Madison.
Former Miami switch Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL three video games into the 12 months, which signifies that the Badgers needed to flip to redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke. In seven begins, Locke has accomplished 55.8% of his passes for 1,514 yards and 9 touchdowns with 9 interceptions.
Wisconsin is one win away from reaching a bowl recreation in every of its first two full years underneath Fickell. The Badgers shut the 12 months on the highway in opposition to Nebraska and at dwelling in opposition to Minnesota.
