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The Daily Athenaeum
WVU’s Independent Student Newspaper
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danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
www.thedaonline.com
MONDAY JANUARY 7, 2019
Kneel down
to Neal Brown
Former Troy head coach joins the Mountaineers BY JJOHN OOHHN LO LOWE W WE SPORTS SP P OR ORTS TS EEDITOR DITO DI TORR TO
WVU W WV U officially offf ici of cial alll y n named a m e d Neal Ne Brow B Br Brown row w n as its i tss football f oo ootb tbal tb a l co al ccoach ach ac h on Saturday Satu Sa turd tu dayy morning. mor orn ning. ni ng. Thee University Th Un niv iver ersity er ersi tyy h has as ssigned as iggne ned the th he fformer Troy T oyy head Tr heaad coach coac co acch tto a six-year, six si x-ye year ye ar $$1 ar, $19.05 19.05 9.055 m million contr li contract. ta “When “Wh I star started artt this n th national search, sear se arch ar ch I learned lear le e ar arn arn v e r y quickly quick that he
checked all the boxes of what I was looking for in our next football coach,” said Shane Lyons, WVU director of athletics, in a University announcement. Brown was the head coach at Troy for four seasons, amassing a 35-16 record and winning a Sun Belt Conference title and three bowl games. One of Brown’s major accomplishments at Troy was his success against Power 5 teams. After losing big to NC State and Wisconsin on the road in his first season, his Trojans rebounded to come within one possession of eventual national champion Clemson in a 30-24 loss in his second season. In his third season, Brown’s Troy team upset 25th-ranked LSU, 24-21, in Baton Rouge. It was the Trojan’s first-ever road win over a Power 5 school and eventually led to the the program’s (and the Sun Belt’s) first ever appearance in the AP Top 25. This past season, Brown’s Trojans upset a down-year Nebraska team, 24-19. Brown served as a coach in some capacity at Troy for eight seasons, serving as an offensive assistant and later coordinator from 2006 to 2009 before becoming head coach in 2015. His farewell to the Troy fanbase gave Mountaineers a sneak peek into what kind of man they hired as
a coach. “Our success here in football has been a collective success,” Brown said of his time at Troy at halftime during a basketball game. “It’s never been about me, it’s never been about the coaches, it’s been a collective success.” “From my family and I, I thank you so much,” Brown added. “God bless and go Troy.” Outside of Troy, Brown served as offensive coordinator at Kentucky (2013-2014) and Texas Tech (20102012). He also was an offensive assistant at Delaware (2005), Sacred Heart (2004) and UMass (2003, where he also played in 2001 and 2002). Brown may be one of the better coaches to bridge the gap between 2018 and 2019 because of his time as a wide receiver at Kentucky during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. While in Lexington, he was coached by Hal Mumme and Mike Leach. Dana Holgorsen, Brown’s WVU predecessor, was on Mumme’s staff at Valdosta State from 1993 until 1995 and Leach’s staff at Texas Tech from 2000 until 2007. As of press time, the University has not announced when an introductory press conference will be, but it will likely be within the next few days.
PHOTO BY JOHN LOWE, COVER DESIGN BY HALEIGH HOLDEN
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