Now in his third decade on the Golden Rams' sideline, defensive coordinator Mike Furlong is the longest tenured coach (head or assistant) at West Chester University. Over that period of time, he has built a reputation in the Delaware Valley of producing some of the stingiest defenses in the country at the Division II level while tutoring some of the top linebackers in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Furlong returns for his 33rd season overall and will serve as the Rams' defensive coordinator for the 30th consecutive year. Surprisingly enough, the Western New York native has worked for just two different head coaches in his three decades as an assistant for the Golden Rams. Furlong has held many different responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball. Previously, the defensive backs fell under his expansive umbrella. However, he has spent the last few seasons back mentoring the linebackers – where he has served as the primary position coach for the majority of his coaching career. Furlong has tutored the conference’s defensive player of the year in the Eastern Division five times in the past six years in Andrew Cohen (2015), All-American Tyler Morrissey (2017, 2018), Jarey Elder (2019) and Jackson Taylor (2021).

During Furlong’s 32-year career, he has mentored the school’s top three career tackling leaders in Lateef Ferguson, Lee Woodall, and Ronell Williams. Additionally, seven of the school’s top 10 all-time leaders in tackles played for Furlong. Woodall and former defensive back Al-Hajj Shabazz each played in the NFL.

Last fall, Jackson Taylor became the latest pupil of Furlong's to emerge as the top defensive player in the Eastern Division. He led the PSAC East in tackles while registering 10.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks.He was a first-team all-league selection and second team All-Super Region 1 pick. Taylor led a defense that ranked seventh overall in the PSAC and seventh in passing defense.

In 2019, the Golden Rams led the PSAC in pass defense and limited opponents to fewer than 20 points per game. West Chester's defensive unit ranked third in the conference, after leading the league in defense in 2018. Since 2002, West Chester's defense has led the league in total defense twice (2002, 2018), scoring defense once (2018), rushing defense twice (2009, 2018), pass defense three times (2014, 2015, 2019) and sacks four times (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018). Overall, Furlong has molded the careers of five American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-Americans and nine PSAC East defensive player of the year honorees.

Five years ago, the Golden Rams’ defense was second in the conference, yielding just barely 300 yards per game and only 18 points per game. The stop unit also ranked 16th overall in Division II and 14th in scoring defense. West Chester’s defense did a good job getting off the field, leading the PSAC with a 25.5 opponent success rate on third downs. That was good for fourth in the country.

Six years ago, West Chester’s defense ranked third overall in total defense in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and 36th nationally, allowing an average of 332.4 yards per game. The Golden Rams’ pass defense was tops in the PSAC among the Top 25 in the nation at Division II. Additionally, West Chester’s defense was very efficient at getting off the field on 3rd down, ranking third in the PSAC and 18th in the country. The Rams’ defense also appeared in the Top 25 nationally in first down defense, allowing just 183 first downs over 11 games, which ranked 23rd.

In 2013, West Chester’s pass defense ranked fifth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Golden Rams’ 18 interceptions tied for second just one off of the league best of 19. Former All-American, Al-Hajj Shabazz, who spent some time in the NFL following graduation, spearheaded that defensive effort. He became the third first-team All-America pick to have played for Coach Furlong at year’s end.

The Golden Rams have ranked among the top five in the conference in total defense 10 times over the last 18 seasons while ranking among the top five in scoring defense 11 times over that same span. West Chester has authored a 235-131-1 (.642) winning percentage in the Furlong era.

Furlong’s stop units have allowed fewer than 20 points per game eight times during his 31 previous years on campus.

In 2009, Furlong put together the top-ranked defense in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, highlighted by the group’s stinginess in the running game. West Chester allowed just 77 yards rushing on average per game, holding some of the conference’s top tailbacks to under 100 yards. The Golden Rams ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, yielding just 17.3 points per contest as well. West Chester’s four starting linebackers were widely considered the best unit in the conference with both Mike Dell and Sam Scott earning a spot in the Valero Cactus Bowl – a Division II all-star bowl game – in January 2009. Scott was named defensive MVP in that tilt, tying a Cactus Bowl record for tackles with 14.

In 2015, Andrew Cohen graduated as the PSAC's all-time sacks leader while being named a finalist for both the Gene Upshaw Award as the top lineman (offensive and defensive) in Division II and the Cliff Harris Award, handed out to the top small college defensive player in the country. Six former Golden Rams have been named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award since its inception in 2014.

A 1986 graduate of Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., with a degree in Physical Education, Furlong was a wide receiver for the Golden Griffs for three years.

He and his wife, Julie, raised two children, Megan and Shawn. They reside in Honey Brook, Pa. Shawn previously served on Bill Zwaan's coaching staff as a student assistant and helped out in the equipment room in 2021.