MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — According to Anwar Richardson of Rivals, former West Viriginia head coach Neal Brown will soon be back coaching! Brown has been hired for a role on the Texas Longhorns’ coaching staff, although his exact role for the program is not yet known.
BREAKING: Texas Has Hired Former WV Head Coach Neal Brown to the Staff.
His Exact Role is Unknown at this Time.
(Via @AnwarRichardson) pic.twitter.com/DbqtGeL0fR
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) March 4, 2025
Brown was fired back in December by WVU and reportedly garnered interest from several programs, including UMASS, Applachian State, Charlotte, Jacksonville State and Wake Forest. However, Brown was said to turn down one or more of those positions and decided to remain a free agent. Now, Brown will join close friend and former offensive coordinator Chad Scott as a member of the Texas Longhorns staff.
It’s unclear at this time what position Brown is being targeted for, but it’s rumored that he will likely be an offensive analyst for the Longhorns. Prior to being a head coach at West Virginia and Troy, Brown was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky, Texas Tech, and Troy. At Texas Tech, he installed a spread offense centered around speed and led the Red Raiders to be ranked 15th in the country in total offense in 2010, 13th in 2011 and 2012. At Kentucky, he led the offense to some of its highest offensive statistics in years.
Brown told Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews Sportsline days after his firing that he would like to coach again in 2025. “I want to coach. I think there’s a lot of positives from a personal perspective and professionally and there’s some really good jobs open. There’s jobs that are resourced well in leagues that you can go win, and so my anticipation is that I will, but time will tell.”
Brown posted the following message on his personal social media following his firing: ““It has been a great honor to serve as West Virginia’s Head Football Coach. I am extremely proud to be associated with all the incredible young men who were part of our program over the past six years. This team, like those before them, showed up every day, resilient, united, and determined. I love this group and know they will navigate this transition with class and integrity. Our family was proud to call West Virginia home. Mountaineer Nation is a dedicated and passionate fan base. With Wren’s leadership, and the foundation we worked so hard to create, I know the program is poised to embrace the challenges of today’s ever-changing football climate and make the investments necessary to advance. I am extremely grateful for our tremendous staff and their families. You gave your all and Brooke and I will always be here for you. To our team, stay focused and go win our bowl game! Let’s GO!”
Despite Brown’s lack of success at WVU, he is still highly respected in the coaching circles and West Virginia’s director of athletics Wren Baker gave him a rave review for his time in Morgantown: “Coach Brown is a great person, and he has served as a tremendous ambassador for West Virginia University,” Baker said in a statement when the program let Brown go. “He led our storied program with class and integrity and always put in the hard work necessary to allow for success.”
