2015 will mark the ninth year for Danny Longo as Head Men’s Soccer Coach of Molloy College, as well as his seventh season as the Head Women's Soccer Coach. During his stints at the helm of the programs, he has notched 60-plus wins, and led the Lions to appearances in East Coast Conference and NCAA Division II Tournament play.
2014 marked a return to form for the men's team, as the squad finished with a 5-4-1 record in East Coast Conference play, qualifying for the ECC Championship as the No. 4 seed. Under Longo's direction, senior goalkeeper Justin Corke took home ECC Goalkeeper of the Year honors, while leading scorer Hamza Elotmani earned All-ECC Second-Team kudos for a five-goal, ten-point campaign.
Meanwhile, the women's soccer team fell just shy of a play-off berth, capturing a 5-4-1 mark in conference play. Three members of the team---Danielle Valente, Gianna Jennosa and Gabrielle Batista---all garnered ECC Honorable Mention selections.
Longo, who came over to Rockville Centre after six seasons as Head Men’s Soccer Coach at C.W. Post, guided the Molloy men’s soccer team to a 10-4-4 clip in his inaugural 2007 season. He doubled the Lions’ win total from the prior year, and brought the maroon and white to a .500-plus mark for the first time since their inception in 1997.
During the following campaign, which was also his first as head coach of the women’s program, it was certainly a season to remember. On the men’s side, the Lions claimed the East Coast Conference title for the first time in the squad’s history, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament, also a first for the team. Furthermore, the maroon and white posted a program-best record of 12-6-2 in only what was Longo’s second campaign.
Meanwhile, on the women’s front, the Lions had a 9-8-2 ledger, and advanced to the championship game of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, which they lost to Philadelphia University. Longo’s greatest achievement with Molloy’s women’s team occurred in 2011, as he guided them to an appearance versus Dowling College for the ECC Championship. Despite the single-goal loss (1-0), the Lions defeated league nemesis University of Bridgeport, which came in as the No. 1 team in the nation, in the semifinal round via penalty kicks.
Under Longo's guidance, three Molloy men's soccer players have been named All-Region, and Jose Batista was named the program's first Daktronics All-American in 2009.
During his coaching days at C.W. Post, which included four years as an assistant, Longo guided the Pioneers to an ECC title in 2005, and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2006, both of which came in tilts versus nationally-ranked Dowling. He also earned himself ECC Coach of the Year recognition after a 12-8-2 showing in 2005.
Longo, a two-time All-New York Collegiate Athletic Conference player in 2005 and 2006 at C.W. Post, resides in Lindenhurst, N.Y. with his wife, Shannon.
