West Virginia University announced on Sunday that they have fired football coach Neal Brown following a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech in their final game of the season, leaving the Mountaineers with a 6-6 record. Brown had been at the helm since 2019, leading the team to a 37-35 overall record but struggling in the Big 12 with a 25-28 record. Despite reaching bowl eligibility for the fourth time in six seasons with their sixth win against UCF, the victories came against teams with relatively low winning records.
Brown’s best season with West Virginia was in 2023 when the team finished 9-4. However, the Mountaineers have not been ranked in the AP Top 25 since 2019, putting them in a less prestigious category alongside Rutgers and Texas Tech. Athletic director Wren Baker, who took the job in November 2022, chose to retain Brown initially after a winning season in 2023. However, a 6-6 record in 2024 led to the decision to make a change in leadership.
Baker emphasized the importance of the head football coach role at West Virginia, a state with no other power-conference schools or professional teams, and the pressure to put a winning team on the field. While Brown had shown an understanding of this responsibility, the team’s inconsistent performance led to his dismissal, despite the financial burden of his buyout. West Virginia is now on the search for a new coach to lead the program forward.
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