The 34-year-old former Great Britain half back called time on his playing career yesterday.
He also confirmed an announcement about his future is imminent.
But Long wouldn’t reveal the identity of the Super League club that has given him a first break in coaching.
However, M.E.N. Sport understands the former St Helens favourite will fill a newly created post under new Aussie coach Matt Parish.
Acquiring Long’s services will be a major coup for the City Reds, desperate to make an immediate impact on Super League when they move into their new City of Salford Community Stadium early next year.
Long, whose two-year playing contract with Hull FC doesn’t expire until November, did confirm he wouldn’t start work in his role until pre-season.
“I can’t say anything about my job as they’re supposed to be announcing it today,” said the Wigan-born half back.
“But it’s an exciting time for me. It’s a new challenge in my life. They offered it me 10 days ago – it’s perfect for me to put something back into the game.”
Parish and Long certainly enjoyed several good conversations before last Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final between Saints and Wigan where they were working as radio summarisers.
Long had been keen to get a coaching job with St Helens but there aren’t any current vacancies under Royce Simmons. Initially, he wanted to carry on playing next season, even prepared to accept a ‘pay as you play’ deal with Hull.
However, there have been complications to his rehabilitation process from a dislocated shoulder last June.
And after two-injury plagued years at Hull, Long decided enough was enough.
“It’s been a really horrible 12 months and it’s not the way I wanted to finish,” he said.
“But when I got the offer of this job, it made my mind up for me.”
Long won every honour in the game during his 12 year stay at St Helens, including Grand Final, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge. He was voted Super League Man of Steel in 2000 and is a three-time winner of the Lance Todd Trophy.
Salford, who travel to Super League champions Wigan on Sunday, hope to re-arrange a photo shoot at a local bakery that had to be cancelled because of Tuesday’s riots.
A number of first team players were due in Salford precinct until a phone call advising them to make other plans.
Prop Danny Meekin will miss Swinton’s match with South Wales at the Willows on Sunday after damaging his sternum in last week’s defeat to Keighley.
Winger Richard Flooks will also miss a game that can push the Lions towards the Co-operative Championship title. Swindon just need four points from their remaining three games.
The Rugby Football League have suspended Leigh’s Mick Govin for two years following a breach of their anti-doping regulations.
The 26-year-old provided a sample containing benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, following a Championship clash with Hunslet on May 22.
Govin has admitted the charge and accepted the ban, which ends on June 11, 2013.
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This would be good news. We've needed a Halfback type coach for the last couple of years. We need a coach that can look at the skills/tactics side of the game, to many times over the last few years we've lacked ideas in the opp 20 and gone on to loose a game because we did'nt turn pressure into points.
4 games left, just hope theres at least 1 win left in us, got to beat the catalans!
Long was a wonderful player and the Reds could cash in if he is half as good as a coach. Good luck to him. He is Parish's man and he is English which makes a change these days. Torred
He is NOT a proven coach. What is going on at The Willows???
You can have and keep anything that comes out of St Helens for me.