Floyd Officials Name Football Field After Winningest Suffolk Coach, Paul Longo

MASTIC BEACH, NY — William Floyd School District on Saturday named the Lincoln Avenue field in honor of former head football coach Paul Longo, who stepped down last December after 31 years at the helm of the football program, officials said.

Longo cemented his coaching legacy as the winningest public high school football coach in Suffolk County history. The sign was unveiled before the Colonials' game against Walt Whitman.

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Longo took over the varsity football program in 1995, leading a program that had never won a playoff game.

In the subsequent 31 years, Coach Longo's name became synonymous with success, engineering a winning program that amassed 253 wins, 26 playoff appearances, 21 county championship games, 15 Suffolk County titles, five Long Island championships, three Rutgers trophies as the best team in Suffolk, and a No. 20 ranking in the entire nation in 2007 by Sports Illustrated.

His teams also had a 42-game winning streak between 2005-08, the longest in Suffolk history.

Longo said he was moved by this recognition, stating that having the field named in his honor "is something that is difficult to put into words."

"A field is where games are played, championships are won, and memories are created. But to me, this field represents 31 years of my life, thousands of hard-working players, countless coaches, families, and a community that has meant more to me than I ever could adequately express," he said.

"The name on the field will not simply represent one coach. It will represent everyone who helped build William Floyd football, which includes the players, the coaches, parents, teachers, administrators, trainers, support staff, the Lynvet football program, alumni, and the entire William Floyd community," he added.

"I will always be grateful to William Floyd football. It gave me purpose, friendships that became family, and the privilege of working with thousands of young people," he said. "I may no longer be standing on the sidelines as the head coach, but I will always be part of William Floyd and always be one of its biggest fans."

"To have my name on the field is an incredible honor, but the greatest honor was being the coach of the William Floyd Colonials," he said. "Thank you to everyone who allowed me to be part of this incredible journey. The wins and championships will always be special, but the memories will last forever."