Syracuse Football: Rocky Long steps down at SDSU, could be next DC

For Syracuse fans wondering what kind of defense Rocky Long would bring to the hill, he runs a 3-3-5 “Fire Ant” defense.

What is that?

Well, Rocky Long first started picking up concepts of his unique defense back with Joe Lee Dunn. Rocky got his first collegiate opportunity with the Lobos back in 1978 and then after a coaching change was retained in 1980.

Here are some details on the 3-3-5 concepts and why it would end up having success via Jack Harris of 247 Sports:

"“At its core, Dunn’s philosophy was simple. He was always looking for ways to maximize the talent of his teams. Exceptional size, especially back in those days, was a rare commodity on the recruiting trail, a luxury not enjoyed by many small schools, UNM included. But speed? That was easier to find in high school prospects. Dunn decided to build his defense around it, wanting to utilize it at every position. “You have to think about the demographics of the area,” Dunn said. “We had undersized defensive linemen. So we converted our speed into the strength of our defense and pretty much our game plan was to fire in all directions and then let nothing over the top in Cover 3. “We wanted to be able to blitz with all 11 players. We were dealing with (opponents that used) a pro-style, slower passing game. That allowed us to put pressure on the quarterback.” Dunn realized that it was a fool’s errand to try and play with four or five defensive linemen and hope his smaller roster could overpower bigger opponents up front. He deemed the best way to combat power run games was to move guys off the line of scrimmage and into the second level, where they could confuse the opposition with quickness and misdirection.”"

While Long and Dunn technically only worked together for one season back in 1980, it had a tremendous impact on how Rocky decided to coach defenses moving forward.

Rocky uses a lot of formations with three linemen hovering around the line of scrimmage who have options to move around, blitz, and drop into coverage. Also, he introduced the “rover” position on the defense which is a hybrid player that holds linebacker and safety responsibilities.

Long is heralded for making his schemes “player-friendly” which should jive well with the Syracuse football squad.

The pride and joy of Rocky Long is Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher back in New Mexico. He helped transform him into a player that would haunt NFL offenses for decades. In his 3-3-5 defense, Urlacher essentially played safety in the pre-spread era and he was the perfect versatile piece for the defense.

It’s a defense that isn’t stale and continues to evolve with its personnel. Which is exactly what the Syracuse football team needs in 2020. This is an adapt or die world and despite Rocky Long being an older coach at almost 70 years of age, he possesses a long track record of successfully rolling with the punches. Dino Babers better put on his recruiting hat and get this deal signed and delivered sooner rather than later.