End of an Era: Wishing Neal Brown The Best In His Future Endeavors

We all knew that the time would eventually come and that West Virginia's football head coach Neal Brown's time would run out in Morgantown. And on Sunday, we were proven correct.

We admit we were often critical of Neal Brown here at HailWV, but please note one thing for sure: it was never about Neal Brown as an individual.

Everyone, even Brown, understands that coaching at a level such as WVU requires expectations that were just not met. He understands this is still a business, and business could have been better. After the fanbase's rumblings, billboards, and social media slandering, WVU realized a change had to be made to salvage the fans who have been so loyal to this program and withstood so much disappointment.

Everyone around WVU wanted this to work out, and they certainly tried to "Trust The Climb." But in the end, it was always more of a descent. Yesterday afternoon, Brown was informed that his services were no longer needed and that the program was moving forward on the coaching search. The players were informed via Zoom call around 4 p.m.

If you were watching the Saturday's regular season finale against Texas Tech, and were focused on the body language of the staff and team, one could argue that they may have already known this was what the future held. The play-calling could have been better, once again. Tackling was non-existent. Do I think that Brown's look before the game seemed preoccupied? Absolutely. Did it have an outcome on the field? Who knows.

One could argue that morale was low, but WVU met a buzzsaw yesterday at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were better in the main categories than WVU on paper, but if you're keeping track, Texas Tech was worse statistically in pass defense. WVU would have lost to any Big 12 team Saturday with their performance.

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Rest assured, Brown will land on his feet somewhere, whether as an assistant in the Big 12 or as Head Coach at a lower level such as UMass, as you may have heard already. Sources indicate that the Minutemen are interested in Brown, a former alum, for their head coach opening and that other athletic departments have also reached out with interest.

As speculation grows about who will lead the Mountaineers onto the field next season, one thing is certain: Wren Baker has a good relationship with many people and has done an excellent job picking the right person for the job.

For now, we wish Neal Brown the best in the future. It was clear regardless of the results on the field over his six-year tenure in Morgantown that he cared for his players, treated them with dignity and respect, and brought passion to Milan Puskar Stadium, and we'd like to thank him for that. In the end, Brown is a good man, but just wasn't the right man for this task.