Several Programs Interested in Hiring Neal Brown as Head Coach

With so much focus on the future of WVU football after Neal Brown, what about the coach himself? Where will Neal Brown land now that his West Virginia chapter is behind him?

Well, according to Football Scoop and other sources, a few options are already lining up for the 44-year-old Kentucky native. Football Scoop is reporting that Brown is  the “central figure” Appalachian State’s search and could also now be a candidate for the vacancy at Charlotte, too.

Sources: Neal Brown emerges from West Virginia with multiple options https://t.co/3gMYnmtOPb

— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) December 3, 2024

And of course, as has been reported, Brown has heard from UMass about returning to his alma mater. But contrary to what some reports initially indicated, Brown has not reached any agreement with UMass and may now have better options on the table to consider.

The moment many WVU fans were waiting for finally happened on Sunday evening. After a season filled with turmoil and drama, West Virginia has decided to fire Neal Brown.

When Brown arrived in West Virginia in 2019, he was thought of as a young coach on the rise. He had just wrapped up a successful tenure at Troy, one highlighted by getting the Trojans ranked by Associated Press, something he would never accomplish at WVU.

The Neal Brown era for West Virginia concludes with a 37-35 overall record and two bowl wins. Brown’s struggles against ranked opponents and failures in big games embody the darkest six-year period for the program since before Don Nehlen took over in 1980.

And even though WVU director of athletics Wren Baker initially decided to retain Brown despite missing a bowl game all together in 2022, he finally pulled the trigger on the heels of the disappointments of the 2024 season, one that followed hype and expectations of contending for a Big 12 title, not crawling to bowl eligibility.

Any good faith Brown earned with the success of 2023 was permanently tarnished throughout this past season.

For a related story, WV Sports Now compiled a list of candidates for the open WVU head coach position.