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FSC names Longa head basketball coach

LAKELAND, Fla. (March 8, 2001) - Florida Southern College Athletic Director Mike Roberts has named Tony Longa as the Moccasins men’s basketball coach, thus removing the "interim" label from his job title.

"Tony has shown he has the capabilities to be a fine head coach," said Roberts. "The team has had an excellent season. Tony, his coaching staff and players have represented Florida Southern College extremely well on the court, in the classroom and in the community."

Longa, who served seven years as an assistant at FSC, was named interim head coach in October. He has guided the team to a 23-6 record, winning both the regular season and conference tournament championships. Florida Southern is ranked 17^th in the final regular season Division II national poll.

"It’s an honor to be given the opportunity to follow the great tradition of coaches at Florida Southern. I hope to continue their high standard of excellence," said Longa. "This season is a good foundation for the future with us winning the SSC championships and being the number one seed in the South Regional. The players deserve all the credit. They have made an outstanding run so far. They battled all year and handled every situation with character."

The Moccasins are competing in the NCAA South Regional Tournament this weekend at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

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