Long was presented with the Living Legend Award from the University of Colorado in 2003 and for good reason. He coached for 50 years, beginning as a student assistant at Colorado in 1956. Long, who graduated from Boulder High School and CU, would go on to coach in the Army for two years, CU for eight years, 14 at Southern Illinois University and presently as an assistant at Lyons High School. He was an All-American at CU, placing third in 1955. Among his numerous individual efforts he won one national Freestyle championship, was a seven-time runner-up, a three time Greco All-American, an NCAA All-American while placing second in the Big Eight three consecutive seasons, was twice a member of the Team USA and was an Olympic Team alternate three times. He had a career record 203-152-6 as a college coach. Perhaps his best known wrestlers were Colorado's Dean Lahr, who won four nationals titles in freestyle and the NCAA, Division I title in 1963 and 1964, Bob Justice, the 1968 Division I national champion, Ken Johnson, the 1961 NCAA champion and Rob Roop, a 1969 Greco national champion Nineteen of his former wrestlers have gone into the coaching ranks. He has served as the Chairman of Greco Wrestling in the Rocky Mountain Region, was honored as the Sponsor of the Year by Carbondale, Illinois.