Neal Brown Wishes He Could Have Flipped WVU’s 2019 Roster to Improve Culture

The rules of how coaches can handle a roster are much different now than when Neal Brown started his tenure at WVU. And looking back, Brown wishes he would’ve been able to have the current transfer rules in place back then.

While appearing on a show with WVSN’s Mike Asti, Brown said he may have tried to flip most of the roster in 2019 if possible at that time. 2019 was Brown’s first season with West Virginia and forced him to take over a team that saw most of its key contributors out of eligibility or pursuing the NFL.

“We would have flipped the roster more in 19. The rules weren’t the same, but if I had the rules that are there now, I probably would’ve been a little more aggressive,” said Brown. When asked to clarify if this thinking is due to the difference in system between Brown and Holgorsen, Brown said that would not have been the main reason.

“No, it’s not that. There’s some things buy-in wise.” Brown then brought up the culture of the program, seemingly hinting at it not being what he wishes it was.

WVU went 8-4 in Brown’s predecessor Dana Holgorsen’s final season in Morgantown in 2018, but then finished the 2019 season with a 5-7 record. The next season in 2020 Brown did go 6-4, capping it off with the only bowl win of his time at West Virginia. His team finished 2021 at 6-7 with a bowl game loss and ended 2022 with a disappointing 5-7 record.

Watch the full conversation below.