Northwestern University Athletics
Marty Long Named Northwestern's New Defensive Line Coach
2/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 11, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald announced today (Monday, Feb. 11) that Marty Long, most recently an assistant coach at Washington State University, is the Wildcats' new defensive line coach. He replaces Eric Washington, who resigned last month to assume a coaching position with the NFL's Chicago Bears.
Long has spent the last 12 years on the West Coast, coaching at Arizona (1996-2003), Nevada (2004-06) and Washington State (2007). He also coached seven seasons (1987-93) at his alma mater, The Citadel, where he coached the defensive line and outside linebackers.
"We feel very fortunate to have Marty, his wife Donna, and their three children, Jerrell, Anna and Kayla, join our Northwestern football family," said Fitzgerald. "Marty has an outstanding defensive background and has mentored some tremendous players during his coaching career.
"I also want to thank Eric (Washington) and his wife Amy for their contributions to our program the past few years."
Since graduating from The Citadel in 1986, where he played running back, Long has been coaching in the college ranks for all but two years. He was a defensive graduate assistant at Western Kentucky (1986) and The Citadel (1987) before assuming a full-time position with his alma mater in 1988. He continued coaching the Bulldogs until 1994 when he made the jump to professional football, serving as a defensive assistant with the CFL's Baltimore Stallions for two seasons.
Long then moved back into college coaching, assuming an assistant position (defensive line coach) with Arizona under head coaches Dick Tomey and John Mackovic. During his tenure in Tucson, the Wildcats fielded some of the nation's top defensive teams, ranking 12th nationally in rushing defense in 1997 and '98, and ranking eighth in rushing defense and 21st in total defense in 2000.
In 2004, Long began a three-year stint with Chris Ault's Nevada Wolfpack, coaching the defensive line. He then served on Bill Doba's staff at Washington State this past season.
In 1992, he earned a Coach of the Year Medallion by the Eastman Kodak Company.
Long is a native of Rock Hill, S.C., where he attended Northwestern High. He graduated from The Citadel in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in math and computer science.
