Neal Brown is here for another year -- here's why that seems to be a good thing.

Neal Brown is here till 2027

I am sure many fans were skeptical to hear the news as it came out Tuesday morning -- Neal Brown has a new contract extension. I'm not going to lie, I was one of those fans. Brown took a significant leap from his first four years this year by posting a nine-win season, the first for the Mountaineers since 2016. As his contract was set to expire in 2026 many were starting to wonder what would happen next with Brown. This week, Wren Baker gave us our answer:

"“I am pleased with the progress I’ve seen in our football program since arriving last year. I believe this contract amendment allows us to continue to build on our momentum as we begin our first year in the new and expanded Big 12 Conference. I’m appreciative of the effort Coach Brown and his staff put into developing the young people in our program both on and off the field.”"

- Wren Baker

As most fans are very pleased with Brown's contract being extended, there are going to be some who want to quickly remind everyone of the first four years. But in the long run, I think it is a win for everyone when you take a dive into the extension.

1. Its only a one-year deal.

Giving Brown one more year will not break the Mountaineers. It shows that Brown is committed to stay or, as the motto goes, "Trust the Climb." But it is also good news for recruits as it shows the Brown is going to be here for another three years. With the way the transfer portal is, having stability in the coaching staff can be a huge difference on whether a player leaves or stays. The same can be said about the recruits who have committed to the 2025 class and beyond.

2. There is a pay cut included in the new deal.

While there is many things you can question Brown on when he's on the football field, you cannot question how good of a person he is and how much he cares about the job. In his new contract, he will be taking a $400,000 pay cut, with the money designated to put back into the funding for assistant coaches and other staffing. Brown is not only looking out for his coaches, but he is also retaining talent and making West Virginia a more desirable spot by adding more money to the assistant pool. This will hopefully keep so of the more talented coordinators and assistants or attract bigger names from bigger schools.

3. Lower Buyout

Brown is taking a gamble with the last piece of big news on his new contract: his buyout if fired will be reducing to a flat 75% of his contract through 2027, as opposed to the previous contract which guaranteed100% in 2024 and 85% in 2025. This is a big deal for West Virginia, as it would shed about a million dollars off each year of the buy out, as Brown is making about $4 million now. Why we hope it won't need to happen, the commitment to the buyout restructure shows that Brown does care for the school and may plan on being here long-term, provided his performance is up to par.

Things are starting to look up in Morgantown. Defying all the odds Brown went from sitting on the hot seat at the beginning of the 2023 season to an extension for one more year this offseason. Baker has done a fantastic job of rewarding Brown and giving everyone in the football family confidence he is the long-term solution. Brown has another prove-it year in front of him where I do not believe winning less than eight games will be acceptable. West Virginia needs to be in the Big 12 title race and a dark horse for the playoffs this year, and it all starts on August 31st when long time rival Penn State comes to Morgantown for the first time in 1992.