SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Phil Longo, a 20-year coaching veteran, has been named as wide receivers coach at Slippery Rock University, Rock Head Football Coach George Mihalik announced Tuesday morning.

“We are excited to have Phil join our staff,” Mihalik said. “He brings a wealth of coaching experience on various levels and will be a good addition to our staff.”

Longo fills the position formerly held by Lou Falconi Jr., who stepped down for personal reasons after serving three seasons on The Rock staff.

Longo joins The Rock staff after serving last fall as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State University, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Prior to that, he served two seasons as offensive coordinator at FCS member Southern Illinois University.

Longo also served two seasons (2004-05) as head coach and offensive coordinator at La Salle University, an FCS school in Philadelphia, after being the Explorers' associate head coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the previous two seasons.

In addition to his service on the FCS level, Longo served two seasons (2006-07) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Division II Minnesota Duluth, two seasons (2000-01) as associate head coach/offensive coordinator at Division III William Paterson University and one season (1993) as quarterbacks and receivers coach at Division III Jersey City State University.

Prior to becoming a college coach, Longo served five seasons as a high school head coach in New Jersey, four seasons (1996-99) at Parsippany Hills High School and one season (1995) at Orange High School, and one season as a junior-college offensive coordinator at Williamson Trade School in Media, Pa.

Longo also served a one-year internship with the National Football League Philadelphia Eagles in 1992.

As a player, Longo began his collegiate career at East Stroudsburg University, where he redshirted on a squad coached by SRU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Douds. ESU, like SRU, is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Longo transferred to Division III Rowan University for his redshirt sophomore season and subsequently played four seasons as a running back on squads led by head coach John Bunting (former defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Cardinals and head coach at North Carolina) and K.C. Keeler (current head coach at Delaware).

The owner of a Bachelor of Arts degree in health and physical education from Rowan in 1992, Longo is married to Tanya Bauer Longo, SRU's second-year women's basketball head coach. They are the parents of a daughter, Gianna.

Longo inherits a Rock receiving group that features 2010 All-PSAC-Western Division H-Back Devin Goda and includes 11 players who had pass receptions last fall.

The Rock kicks off its 2011 season with a Sept. 3 road game at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The home opener is the following week vs. Cheyney University.