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Given the chance to follow Brady Hoke to Michigan, Rocky Long chose to stay at San Diego State.
That's how much he wanted to be a head coach again.
Four years after essentially firing himself as New Mexico's head coach, Long will try to retain the momentum the Aztecs built last year, when they had their first winning season and bowl appearance in 12 years.
`'I thought the chances of being a head coach were long gone. I'm quite surprised it happened,'' Long said as the Aztecs prepared for their opener at home against Cal Poly on Saturday night. ''It was quite a surprise it happened. I feel very privileged that it happened and lucky that it happened.''
The Aztecs finished 9-4 after beating Navy 35-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl, their first bowl victory since 1969. The nine victories were their most since 1977.
Hoke then bolted for Michigan, which he said was always his dream job.
`'I could have gone, yeah,'' said Long, who within hours of Hoke's departure was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach. `'I thought it was a great opportunity that wasn't going to come along. You want to take advantage of that. More so, it was because the players here have made such dramatic improvement over two years that I didn't want them to have to start over again.''
San Diego State's key players were glad Long stayed.
`'I think it was an awesome decision,'' senior quarterback Ryan Lindley said. `'The quick decision really helped out a lot with the transition.''
Senior linebacker Miles Burris, who'll get a third year in Long's defense, agreed.
`'It was a really smooth transition. I feel like not much has changed, to be honest,'' Burris said. ''As soon as everything went down, I wanted him to be the head coach, definitely. If they weren't going to do it quickly, I was going to step in and say something.''
Long joined Hoke's staff in December 2008, weeks after he resigned following 11 seasons as New Mexico's head coach. Frustrated after the Lobos went 4-8, he felt it was better to let someone else try.
A three-year starter at quarterback for the Lobos from 1969-71, Long was 65-69 as head coach and led New Mexico to five bowl appearances in his final seven seasons. In 2007, his team broke the school's 46-year drought without a bowl victory, beating Nevada 23-0 in the New Mexico Bowl.
Long also was defensive coordinator at UCLA, Oregon State and Wyoming.
Long will continue to serve as defensive coordinator and keep the 3-3-5 scheme he's used the last two years.
`'You try to give them multiple formations or multiple looks on defense without giving it away before the snap,'' Long said.
The Aztecs are in good shape at some positions, thin at others.
Lindley is back for his fourth season as starter and will have plenty of tight ends to throw to. Ronnie Hillman ran for 1,523 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman.
But Lindley lost his top two wide receivers, Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson, to the NFL.
The Aztecs are also thin at defensive line.
`'We're counting on two critical spots to play above their age, or talent level,'' Long said about the wideouts and defensive linemen. ''At times they're OK and look pretty good. Other times they look like they should still be in high school.''
The Aztecs struggled under Tom Craft and Chuck Long before Hoke brought toughness and a no-nonsense attitude to SDSU.
Rocky Long intends to stick with that attitude, although he said there's a lot of work still to do.
`'I don't think we've established a base yet,'' Long said. `'We're in the process of that. Brady and I are philosophically the same guy. We believe in the same things.''
On Sept. 24, they'll go up against each other when SDSU visits Michigan.
