Former West Virginia football alum and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee said Monday that he believes multiple candidates have substantial interest in taking over the West Virginia football program following the firing of Neal Brown.
McAfee discussed the job opening on Monday's edition of The Pat McAfee Show, saying that WVU had gotten stagnant during Brown's tenure and that in a Power 4 conference such as the Big 12, that can't happen. He added that WVU Athletic Director Wren Baker "knew he had to make this move."
McAfee is also mentioned that he had already been personally contacted by a number of people who claim interest in the job, though no names were dropped -- many apparently want the endorsement of McAfee, a very prominent former player in the media who recently hosted an edition of his show in Morgantown and donated one million dollars to the program's NIL collective.
"Now there's a coaching search taking place, and I'll tell you what, it was a wild day yesterday. A lot of people want that job," McAfee said. "Everybody that wants the job was calling me...saying I'd love if you support me in my bid for this job."
"There are a lot of options though, trying to get this gig. And those are just the people that I talked to yesterday, let alone the people that I don't know that are trying to get that job."
A LOT of people want that WVU job
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 2, 2024
I have faith in @wrenbaker and I talked to a lot of people yesterday..
Coach Saban isn't getting back into coaching but I do believe he is interested in helping West Virginia#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QMdjzvzFoO
McAfee pointed out that in the current landscape of college football and the Big 12, a job like West Virginia with a winning history, strong culture and fanbase, and a potential yearly pathway to the college football playoff via the Big 12 Championship could be very appealing.
He also highlighted his own connections to the program and how the media presence he helps bring WVU -- in addition to hosting his own popular show on ESPN, the former WVU kicker is a College Gameday regular and part-time WWE commentator -- could be an extra perk for whoever takes the job.
With the way the Big 12 is set up, the way it is constructed -- and this is going to sound very narcicisstic -- but with like a West Virginia presence now pretty good in this sport and sports media as a whole...there's a lot of really good opportunity for people over there, and ther's a chance some real special shit takes place," McAfee said.