Former Kentucky OC Neal Brown fired as HC at West Virginia

A 52-15 loss at Texas Tech was the nail in the coffin for Neal Brown at West Virginia, who has officially been fired after six seasons in Morgantown. The Mountaineers finished the 2024 campaign with a 6-6 record that included a 5-4 finish in the Big 12.

Brown wraps up his time at WVU with a 37-35 overall record and three bowls — four including this cycle. He won the Liberty Bowl in 2020, then the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in 2023, his best season with the program at 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference. He had two losing seasons in Morgantown, going 5-7 in 2019 before hitting that same 5-7 mark again in 2022.

West Virginia will have to pay 75 percent of Brown’s contract after firing him without cause, good for $6.5 million. The two sides could also negotiate his buyout.

A Danville, KY native, Brown started his playing career as a wide receiver at Kentucky (1998-2000) before closing out his eligibility at UMass (2001-02). After stops as a position coach at UMass (tight ends), Sacred Heart (quarterbacks and wide receivers), Delaware (wide receivers) and Troy (inside wide receivers), he got his first offensive coordinator gig with the Trojans (2008-09) before making the move to Texas Tech (2010-12) and Kentucky (2013-14) for the same position.

He returned to Troy as head coach from 2015-18 (35-16, 23-9) before landing the West Virginia job. Now, he’ll look for his next gig after leaving the Mountaineers.

Where? Keep an eye on UMass — FootballScoop is reporting that Brown is “high on the wishlist of his alma mater” after the program fired Don Brown in recent weeks. Elsewhere, “other athletic directors have made calls to do background work” on the former Kentucky wide receiver and offensive coordinator should he be looking for a job.

If that doesn’t work out for him, I’m sure Mark Stoops can find an open office somewhere at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. The Wildcats can use all the help they can get right about now.