Swans chairman Richard Colless announced on Wednesday that Roos will coach the Swans in 2010 before handing the reins to Longmire for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Longmire was considered a front-runner to fill the Kangaroos’ top job vacated by Dean Laidley.
The 1999 North Melbourne premiership player said he had intended to speak with his former club about the job but no offer had been made.
“Obviously the North Melbourne job was appealing, being an ex-player. But from my experience here… it’s just a terrific football club and when the opportunity came up when Roosy spoke to me this morning, and Richard and Andrew, it was just too good an opportunity to knock back,” Longmire said.
“There’s no better person to learn off and there hasn’t been over this period of time. The responsibilities that Roosy’s given me have been fantastic and quite unique
"From that point of view, I couldn’t be more prepared.”
The Swans’ announcement comes just a fortnight after Collingwood made its coaching succession plan public, with Nathan Buckley appointed as an assistant before he takes control in 2012.
Football manager Andrew Ireland, who will succeed Myles Baron-Hay as Swans CEO in 2010, said neither Collingwood’s plans or North Melbourne’s hunt for a coach had forced the club’s hand.
“Obviously the Kangaroos job is there and I guess it’s probably focused us a little bit, but to be frank… we’ve talked about it possibly for a couple of years,” he said.
“People have asked us whether there was an agreement in place; well, there couldn’t be because it really depended on Paul getting to the stage where he knew that his tenure would finish at a certain date.”
Longmire said working under Roos for one more year was the perfect preparation to take the senior job in his own right.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for myself also, over the next 12 months, to keep working with Paul and the players and keep building through this interesting period that we’re going through with compromised drafts and the different challenge that presents.
“It’s a really good model for us going forward and for myself, I’m able to get my head around it and still work closely with the footballers.”
Despite the impending retirements of several stars and the impact of Gold Coast and Western Sydney’s draft concessions yet to be realised, Longmire said he was excited by the challenge of guiding the Swans.
“We’ve seen this year some of the younger players come through and hopefully we’ve shown our supporters that there’s some talent coming through there as well.
“Our more mature and experienced players have been able to combine with those younger players and give them some real football lessons on how we like to play.
“I’ve got enormous faith in this football club and in the playing group. What they’ve set up with their culture and the way they go about their business on a weekly basis is fantastic."
