Morgantown, West Virginia – As the Thursday night matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Baylor Bears inches nearer, the rumors and speculation surrounding Neal Brown and his future with the Mountaineers has started to really heat up.
Multiple reliable sources have told The Voice of Motown that the result of this game will weigh heavily on director of athletics Shane Lyons’ decision to move forward with Neal Brown as the head coach or consider making a change following the game.
Lyons said prior to the season that the team showing improvement is key. If West Virginia happens to lose to Baylor, the Mountaineers will fall to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12 Conference with a brutal schedule remaining. West Virginia will not be favored in any of the games left on the schedule and this certainly does not bode well for the team showing improvement from last year’s 6-7 record.
With that said, Lyons understands that there is potential to lose a huge part of the fan base and massive revenue if a change isn’t made. Although Neal Brown has a large contract buyout, the university would likely lose more revenue by continuing on the path it’s currently on with Brown as the head coach.
In addition, Lyons is aware that Brown’s contract can be negotiated to a more reasonable amount and The Voice of Motown has been told that West Virginia will likely end up paying slightly more than half of the buyout, which would be approximately $7.5 – 10.0 million after negotiations.
Although Lyons would ultimately prefer to keep Neal Brown as the head coach for a variety of reasons, he must show that West Virginia University takes winning football games seriously, and right now, that isn’t clear. West Virginia is the worst football program in the Big 12 Conference right now and that is unacceptable. If West Virginia loses at home against Baylor, there is a very good chance that it will be the very last time we will see Neal Brown as the head coach of the Mountaineers.
Hearing from multiple sources that Baylor game is VERY important for Neal Brown’s future at #WVU. His seat is already hot, but a loss could be the breaking point.
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) October 12, 2022
West Virginia University doesn't take winning football games seriously right now. #WVU is the worst football program in the Big 12. This is unacceptable on so many levels. @WVUADLyons
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) October 12, 2022
