Wisconsin is hiring North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo for the same role, sources told ESPN on Wednesday, confirming reports.
Longo has been the Tar Heels’ offensive playcaller for the past four seasons, and worked with productive quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye, who had 4,115 pass yards and 35 touchdowns this season as a first-time starter.
New Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell had interviewed Longo for an offensive coordinator vacancy at Cincinnati in years past, and the two maintained a strong relationship, according to a source.
Since 2019, North Carolina ranks 10th nationally in scoring offense (36.1 points per game) and fourth in total passing yards (14,781). Wisconsin’s passing game has struggled in recent years, and the team lost starter Graham Mertz to the transfer portal on Sunday.
Before North Carolina, Longo served as offensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2017 and 2018. The New Jersey native has not coached in the Big Ten but made stops in the region at Minnesota-Duluth and Youngstown State.
Fickell is bringing several assistants from Cincinnati to Wisconsin, including Mike Tressel and Colin Hitschler on defense, as well as Mike Brown, who served as the Bearcats’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, according to sources.
News of Longo’s hire was first reported by The Athletic.