West Virginia fired soccer coach Neal Brown on Sunday because the Mountaineers proceed to battle within the Big 12.
Athletic director Wren Baker introduced Brown’s firing in an announcement. Baker mentioned he needs Brown and his household “one of the best of their subsequent endeavor.”
Brown went 6-6 this season and posted an total document of 37-35 in his six seasons. His groups have by no means competed for a Big 12 championship or been ranked within the AP Top 25 ballot. They have misplaced 9 consecutive instances to ranked opponents.
Brown is anticipated to obtain a $9.5 million buyout for the ultimate three years of his contract.
Brown had lengthy struggled to maintain his job.
In November 2022, after consecutive shedding seasons, Brown was retained on the identical day Baker was employed as West Virginia’s AD. A 12 months in the past, Baker gave the same vote of confidence to his predecessor, then gave Brown a contract extension in March after a 9-4 end.
But the return to mediocrity and rising pains had been an excessive amount of for Brown to beat.
West Virginia’s offensive manufacturing suffered considerably regardless of the return of dual-threat quarterback Garrett Greene and working backs Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson. The protection was one of many worst nationally by way of passes allowed. West Virginia has misplaced 4 instances at house this season and has been outscored within the second half in 10 of 12 video games.
Brown had the worst six years below a single coach at West Virginia since Gene Corum went 29-30 from 1960-65. Except Brown’s groups confirmed flashes of brilliance one week, then stumbled the subsequent. The Mountaineers have been significantly weak on the street, going 13-20 with 11 losses by a minimum of 17 factors. Brown additionally went 1-2 towards rival Pittsburgh.
“Our document on the finish wasn’t what we hoped for,” Brown mentioned after a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. “I believed there have been instances all year long the place folks thought we had been out and our guys bounced again and did some good issues.”
After a house loss to Iowa State, followers turned particularly agitated when Brown was requested to elucidate why they need to proceed to point out as much as video games.
“I perceive they wish to win, however what I might say is, did they’ve enjoyable?” he mentioned. “You know what I imply? Like, did they’ve enjoyable? It was a superb ambiance.”
He acknowledged later that he may have answered the query higher and easily requested followers to return assist the crew.
Instead, billboards appeared in Morgantown calling for Brown’s firing. Brown fired defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley on Oct. 29 after the protection gave up 45 factors to Kansas State and gave up a pair of landing passes in blown protection in a 31-26 win at Arizona. In Jeff Koonz’s first sport as interim defensive coordinator, West Virginia beat Cincinnati on the street, then misplaced two of its closing three video games.
West Virginia hasn’t gained a league title since 2011, which was the final of its six Big East championships in a nine-year stretch earlier than transferring to the Big 12 in 2012.
The 44-year-old Brown was in his first head teaching job at a serious school after main Troy to a 35-16 document in 4 seasons, together with the 2017 Sun Belt championship.
Associated Press reporting.
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