Brown Officially Hired as WVU’s 35th Football Coach

MORGANTOWN -- Moving with the speed of light, West Virginia University director of athletics Shane Lyons, in conjunction with WVU President E.Gordon Gee, has hired Troy University's Neal Brown to become the school's 35th head football coach.

"I am excited that Neal Brown and his family have decided to call West Virginia University their next home," Lyons said. "When I started this national search, I learned very quickly that he checked all the boxes of what I was looking for in our next head coach.

"There is no question that the Mountaineers are West Virginia's team, and I know our fans are going to love his energy, passion, work ethic and excitement that he is going to bring to our program. I look forward to working together and supporting him and his staff to bring championships to Morgantown."

First, however, it will be that staff that Brown will have to deal with.

Wide receivers coach Tyron Carrier -- a University of Houston alum -- has already joined former head coach Dana Holgorsen with the Cougars. Others are expected to do the same.

However, longtime defensive coordinator Tony Gibson -- a favorite of the players to take over the head coaching position -- isn't among them, for now.

During his tenure at Troy, Brown's signature wins included a 24-21 victory in 2017 at then-No. 22 LSU , which snapped the Tigers' 49-game non-conference winning streak, and a 24-19 win at Nebraska on Sept. 15 of last season. His team also suffered a 30-24 loss to eventual 2016 national champion Clemson.

"On behalf of my wife, Brooke, and our children, Adalyn, Anslee and Dax, we are thrilled to join the Mountaineer Football Family and become a part of Mountaineer Nation," Brown said.

"I want to thank President Gordon Gee, Athletics Director Shane Lyons and Deputy Athletics Director Zeli Zinn for giving me this tremendous opportunity to lead the West Virginia football program and the young men who give their all for the Mountaineers.

"West Virginia has a long and successful history. I am looking forward to adding to that great tradition and strengthening our place in the Big 12 Conference and nationally. We will work hard, play hard and do things the right way to make the people from the great state of West Virginia proud of their program. That will be a foundational element of our culture. I can't wait to meet our team and get to work."

Troy finished 10-3 in 2018, including a win over Buffalo in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The Trojans finished 7-1 in conference play and won five of their last six games to finish the year.

The 2017 campaign featured an 11-win season for Troy, including a win over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. The Trojans earned Brown his first Sun Belt Conference championship with a 7-1 mark -- finishing 27th in the final Amway Coaches Poll, marking the highest final ranking by a Sun Belt Conference squad in league history.

Prior to arriving at Troy, Brown spent two seasons (2013-14) as the offensive coordinator under Mark Stoops at Kentucky. He also spent three years at Texas Tech (2010-12) as the offensive coordinator after his first stint at Troy as an assistant coach from 2006-09.

Brown began his coaching career with one-year stays at UMass (2003), Sacred Heart (2004) and Delaware (2005). He graduated from UMass with a bachelor's degree in business management in 2002 and earned his master's degree in business administration in 2005.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Brown grew up in Bardstown, Kentucky, before moving to Danville, Kentucky, where he was an all-state wide receiver at Boyle County High School.

"I am pleased to welcome Neal Brown and his family to West Virginia University," Gee said. "Having met with Coach Brown over the last few days, we are confident he is a good fit for our university, our football program and our state."

Brown was one of three candidates interviewed for the job by Lyons, who spoke with Gibson and University of Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell.