(Photo by WVU Athletics)
After accumulating a 22-25 record over four seasons, WVU Head Coach Neal Brown has found himself squarely on the hot seat. In an attempt to save his job, Brown is pushing his team to be the best version of themselves, and to play focused, mistake-free football.
Brown had the opportunity to speak with the media throughout the spring. One topic that came up during these interactions was the possibility of the Mountaineers turning around their fortunes really quickly. While that may seem like a long shot, it isn’t completely impossible.
Looking at recent successes, within the Big 12 Conference nonetheless, teams have been able to turn things around quickly. As Brown pointed out, both TCU Football and Kansas State Men’s Basketball have went from dormant programs to national contenders over night.
TCU, who finished 5-7 in 2021, made an appearance in the national championship game during the 2022 season. The Kansas State Men’s Basketball team had been the laughing stock of the league for several seasons, but ultimately turned it around last season making a run to the Elite Eight.
Brown hopes to pull inspiration from those two teams, and get his team back on track for success. While expecting the Mountaineers to contend for a national championship overnight may be stretching expectations, fans can at least hope they field a competitive team in 2023.
Brown’s job likely relies on it.
Can the Mountaineers be the next Big 12 team to have a massive turnaround in just one season? It remains to be seen.
