According to WV News, “The Independent News of West Virginia”, WVU’s Head Coach Neal Brown is the 2019 West Virginian of the Year.
Congratulations to WVU football coach Neal Brown, who through integrity and good works — all while declining to shine the spotlight on himself— has earned selection as https://t.co/ZmqNTCaTRj's West Virginian of the Year: https://t.co/e3LqreS92a pic.twitter.com/pcOOZL5KCv
— WV News (@WVNews247) December 25, 2019
Reasons cited for Brown winning the award include his community service (particularly making visiting children in the hospital a priority), lifting the football program while doing things “the right way”, and fully embracing the state of West Virginia during his first season with the Mountaineers.
In the article from WVNews.com, WVU President Gordon Gee said of Brown: “I have been a university president for a long time, and have worked with a variety of personalities, so I can say without reservation that Neal Brown is an outstanding coach, but more importantly, an outstanding human being. I have never received as much positive feedback about someone whose team had a losing record in a season. That speaks volumes about the way he has established himself at the university and in the state. He is a person of integrity, of character and of strength who leads for all the right reasons. I congratulate Neal on this honor. It is well deserved.”
WVU Athletic Director Shane Lyons added, “I was thrilled to learn that Neal was receiving this award because he truly deserves it. In one year’s time, he and his family have been welcomed to the Mountain State with open arms because they have shown that they care and want to be here. He and his family are fully ingrained in the state of West Virginia and have become great members of the Morgantown community.”
Although the Mountaineers struggled through a 5-7 season in Brown’s first year with the team, he handled himself with class and has given West Virginians a reason for major optimism in the future. The West Virginia Mountaineers will resume play next season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game on September 5th in 2020.
To see the entire outstanding article by WVNews.com, click the following link: https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/trust-the-climb-wvu-football-coach-neal-brown-named-wvnews/article_a610649b-d97f-5af9-83a8-5d126f3e4bb6.html
