Neal Brown Reflects on Impact of former WVU Coach Bobby Bowden, ‘A Man That Made a Difference’

The fraternity of coaches at West Virginia is a long and storied list, and Neal Brown is just the latest man to hold the title.

The death of one of his predecessors, college football legend Bobby Bowden, impacted the world of college football deeply. Brown felt the loss of the Florida State — and WVU — legend just like the rest of those in college football who have been impacted by Bowden’s legacy.

I reflected this morning on the life and impact of Coach Bowden. I am extremely humbled to lead a program and hold a position that he once held. His contributions to the game of football and the coaching profession are unmatched. RIP to a man that made a difference!

— Neal Brown (@NealBrown_WVU) August 9, 2021

Bowden, who coached at WVU from 1970-75, rose to fame for his almost unparalleled run of success as the head coach of Florida State from 1976-2009. Brown may have never gotten to coach with Bowden, but his time spent as an assistant coach at Texas Tech and Kentucky led to him inheriting the program Bowden once helmed.

“I reflected this morning on the life and impact of Coach Bowden,” Brown wrote on Twitter, “I am extremely humbled to lead a program and hold a position that he once held. His contributions to the game of football and the coaching profession are unmatched. RIP to a man that made a difference,” in his Twitter post.

With WVU football less than a month away from the 2021-22 season kicking off, Brown will surely continue to reflect upon the impact that Bowden has had on himself and WVU football as a whole.