He was the head football coach at four historically black colleges and universities in Texas between 1921 and 1965, compiling a career record of 224–145–31.

He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Finance in less than four years, becoming the first African American to graduate from Millikin University.

[2] He was joined at Millikin in the fall of 1915 by his brother Harry Long who had graduated from Decatur High School that spring.

In 1920, Fred Long became an outfielder for the Detroit Stars of the newly formed Negro National League.

During that same period he also served as athletic director for the colleges he worked for and often coached every sport those schools offered including track, baseball, basketball, tennis, and golf.

The game was always on Negro Day of the state fair and soon was drawing in excess of 20,000 fans to the Cottom Bowl.

The Fred Thomas Long Student Union building at Wiley is named in his honor.