Football Coach, Alum Rocky Long Steps Down at New Mexico

College football's midseason bloodbath of coaching changes continues today with news that former Lobo player turned coach Rocky Long will step down from the New Mexico head football job effective immediately. The decision came as a shock to the New Mexico athletic director. Read this quote and try not to scratch your head:

"It's a sad day for New Mexico football that Coach Long will no longer be our leader," [Athletic Director Paul] Krebs said. "In my opinion, Rocky's 11-year tenure is the best 11 years in the history of our football program."

Besides having an awesome football name, Rocky Long did some legitimately good things at New Mexico in taking them to five bowl games -- with just one win mind you but a party is a party and who doesn't love a postseason chance to party?

Whats interesting is that Long stepped out of the usual guarded state most coaches are in to deliver a series of blunt statements.

Regarding why he left, he actually admitted to doing a "terrible job".

Well we appreciate the honesty, I guess? Problem is this makes him sound like a bit of a loose cannon.

As a writer we eat this stuff up but bosses have to be a little leery, be it athletic directors who may hire him down the road or head coaches in need of another coordinator or position coach. He did say upon leaving that he felt his departure would give the program a "chance to get better". Sort of an honorable, fall-on-the-sword kind of thing that most of us probably respect and couldn't pull off. But its curious.

Long also took a shot at casual fans on the way out. According to the AP writer, Long:

[T]hanked "loyal fans" for their enduring support and fawned over Albuquerque's high quality of life. Then he became angry, saying casual fans need to get involved and show more passion for the Lobos.

"If you want to compete with the big boys, you've got to act like it," Long said.