The 2018-19 season marks Chris Long's sixth at Elon, as the Phoenix enters its fifth year in the Colonial Athletic Association. Matt Matheny promoted Long to assistant coach after the former Elon standout guard spent the 2013-14 season as the team's director of operations.
During the 2017-18 season, the Phoenix posted a 14-win campaign in the 12th-best conference in the country. Junior forward Tyler Seibring earned All-CAA Second Team honors for the second straight season, as well as spot on the NABC All-District 10 Second Team. Seibring was also rewarded with his work in the classroom with a second-straight Academic All-America selection, as well as the CAA's Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, which is presented annually to the men's basketball student-athlete who "embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement." Additionally, Brian Dawkins was named to the 2018 NABC Give Back Team for his outstanding community service efforts throughout his career as a Phoenix. The program had three players reach 1,000 career points, as Seibring, Dmitri Thompson and Dainan Swoope all achieved the mark in 2017-18. Elon finished the season with eight or more wins in non-conference play for the fourth consecutive season, which included the program’s first win over an American Athletic Conference opponent in South Florida, a victory over defending 2017 CIT Champion Saint Peter’s, and a win over 2018 Big South Champion Radford. Elon was also ranked as high as 22nd in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll and was ranked in the poll for three weeks. The Phoenix showed a lot of balance offensively as four of its five starters averaged double-figures in the scoring column. Defensively, the maroon and gold ranked first in the league allowing CAA opponents to only shoot 44.8 percent from the field. Additionally, senior Dmitri Thompson reached the final four of the Dark Horse Dunker fan vote contest, missing out on the 2018 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championships by two rounds.
During the 2016-17 campaign, the Phoenix finished fourth in the CAA, which was ranked the 11th-best conference in the nation. Elon got off to hot start and began the season with a 6-1 mark, the best start in 29 years for the program. The Phoenix cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll on Nov. 23, 2016, holding a spot at No. 23 for two straight weeks. Elon finished first in the conference only allowing CAA teams to shoot only 41.7% shooting from the floor. For the season, opponents shot 31.9% from three-point range, which ranked second in the league. Sophomore standout Tyler Seibring became the second player under head coach Matt Matheny to earn Academic All-America honors. Seibring was also named to the All-CAA Second Team and was selected as the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. For the third straight season, the Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high four student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. Elon also picked up big wins during the season, earned a road win against South Florida and won the NIU Thanksgiving Classic, defeating Northern Illinois, UIC and Cal Poly to win the championship.
In its second season in the CAA, which was ranked the ninth-best league in the nation during the 2015-16 campaign, Long helped an Elon squad of 18 players with 10 underclassmen to 16 wins and an increase in total league victories. For the second time during Elon’s Division I era, the team finished with a winning road record of 8-7 overall. Only the 2013-14 team finished with a wiining record on the road with a 7-6 mark. Under the coaching staff's guidance, freshman forward Tyler Seibring earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team, the 11th player in the program’s Division I era and fifth under the head coach to earn the honor. For the second consecutive season, the Phoenix shined in the classroom and had a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Tanner Samson, Tony Sabato, Sam Hershberger and Wes Brewer ended their career with 70 wins - the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era.
In its inaugural season in the CAA in 2014-15, Long helped Elon to a 15-win campaign following a season in which the team graduated four seniors with 1,000+ career points. Long helped the Phoenix to the quarterfinals of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship after the maroon and gold topped Towson in the first round in overtime. Elon also shined in the classroom, putting a league-high three student-athletes on the CAA All-Academic Team. The senior class of Austin Hamilton, Kevin Blake and Ryan Winters ended their career with 69 wins – the most by a senior class during the school’s Division I era. Elon ended the year winning four of its last five games.
In 2013-14, Long helped the Phoenix to an 18-14 record, including an 11-5 mark against league competition. The team's eight-game winning streak tied the 2012-13 and 2005-06 teams for the longest winning streak during Elon's Division I era. Elon finished the year with four 1,000-point scorers on its roster in Lucas Troutman, Jack Isenbarger, Sebastian Koch and Ryley Beaumont, becoming only the third school in the nation to accomplish such a feat. Elon ended the year ranked first in the conference in free throw percentage (87th nationally) at 72.3 percent and second in the league (34th nationally) in threes per game at 8.0.
A four-year letterwinner at Elon from 2007-11, Long spent two years playing professional basketball in Poland and Romania after graduating from Elon. After signing with the Miercurea Ciuc basketball club in Romania in 2011, Long agreed to terms with Siarka Jerzioro in Poland in 2012.
“It is great to have Chris Long back with the Elon family after a successful professional career,” Matheny said. “His toughness, knowledge of our system and professional playing experience will be extremely beneficial as he mentors our current players.”
Long ended his career at Elon near the top of the charts in several categories. An All-Southern Conference performer and first-team all-state selection as a senior, Long finished his tenure at Elon with 528 assists, good for second in school history. His senior season, Long averaged 14.7 points and 6.0 assists per game. His assist numbers ranked in the top 20 in the nation and his 188 helpers in 2010-11 were the second most in a single season in Elon history. Long is one of 39 players in program history with over 1,000 career points, as his four-year total of 1,234 points ranks 22nd all-time in Elon history. In his final game inside Alumni Gym, Long scored a career-high 30 points and dished out 10 assists in a win over UNCG. He completed his career in the school’s top five in three-pointers (172), assists (528) and steals (155).
“I am very excited for the opportunity to return to Elon University and be a part of the program and the special community that I spent four great years with,” Long said. “I care deeply about the university and the great tradition of Elon basketball and look forward to helping in the continued growth of the program.”
Long earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Elon in 2011.
