Mike Long is in his seventh season as an assistant coach for The College of Saint Rose men’s basketball squad. Long returned to the coaching staff at the outset of the 2006-07 season after serving as the head coach of the Golden Knights from 1973-86.
The venerable mentor has been a staple in the coaching ranks for the past 40 years and is a member of three different Halls of Fame.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Saint Rose, Long was an assistant coach and player for the Ft. Sheridan Post team while fulfilling his military duties until 1971. Upon completion, he became the JV coach at his alma mater, Siena College, for a season.
He was instrumental in bringing men’s basketball to the athletics program at Saint Rose, as he took the reins for the Golden Knights inaugural varsity season in 1973. Long completed his 13 seasons with a 164-156 record, and was inducted into Saint Rose Athletics Hall of Fame in April, 1992. Long was subsequently inducted into the Bishop Maginn High School Hall of Fame in 2006 and New York’s Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame three years ago.
After his tenure at Saint Rose, Long was a highly successful head coach at Sage College of Albany from 1990-03. Long boasted a 220-143 record throughout his 13-year stay at Sage. He was named the Region III, Division 2 Coach of the Year by the National Junior College Athletic Association following the 2001-02 season when Sage finished 27-4.
Long also ran the Helderberg Hoopers boys AAU basketball team from 1999 until 2006 and more recently, was the assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Christian Brothers Academy prior to his return to Saint Rose.
Long received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Siena in 1968. While at Siena, he played three years of basketball for the varsity squad, and was named team captain his senior year.
