West Virginia makes major decision on coach Neal Brown
Oct 23, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown answers questions from the media following their win over the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Just one year after handing coach Neal Brown a contract extension, the West Virginia Mountaineers are moving on from him.
West Virginia is firing Brown on the heels of a 6-6 campaign, according to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports. The decision comes one day after an ugly 52-15 defeat at the hands of Texas Tech.
West Virginia is set to fire head coach Neal Brown, sources tell me, @RJ_cfb and @chris_hummer for @CBSSports/@247Sports https://t.co/qOetA1iLiU pic.twitter.com/ZBWg6bTYOX
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 1, 2024
Brown appeared to be on the upswing after a 9-4 season in 2023, which saw him rewarded with a one-year contract extension, albeit with a modest pay cut attached to it. He was unable to replicate that success in 2024, as the team was generally blown out by high-level opponents and also lost its rivalry game with Pittsburgh. The Mountaineers did win three of their last five, but it was not enough to save Brown’s job.
John Brice of FootballScoop had reported earlier Saturday that Brown could be a top target for his alma mater UMass if and when West Virginia lets him go.
Brown went 37-35 over six seasons at West Virginia, and his teams won either five or six games in all but one of his seasons. There have also been moments where he has played things far too conservatively, arguably costing his team points and games. That kind of mediocrity will not cut it for a West Virginia program that thinks it should be competing closer to the top of the Big 12, and has led to the change.