Morgantown, West Virginia – The West Virginia University football program has not improved on the field in any way since Neal Brown has been the coach. The team is not more fundamentally sound, it is not more explosive or more consistent or more of anything.
Not only that, but there isn’t really a light at the end of the tunnel. While Brown has the top recruiting class in the history of the program, he has been hesitant to play young, inexperienced skilled players. When will we actually see these players contribute on the field?
While Brown and the university preach patience, he’s had nearly three full years and no progress has been made. There are many reasons for the lack of improvement, but the blame begins and ends with the man running the program.
Neal Brown only hires his friends as assistants and can’t fire them
Most of Neal Brown’s assistant coaches are friends of his. Matt Moore (offensive line coach), Jordan Lesley (defensive coordinator), Gerad Parker (offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach), ShaDon Brown (co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach), Chad Scott (running backs coach), Sean Reagan (quarterbacks coach), and Dontae Wright (safeties coach) have all coached with Brown in the past or have a close connection/friendship with him. Only Jeff Koonz (special teams coordinator/inside linebackers coach), Andrew Jackson (defensive line coach) and Travis Trickett (tight ends/inside receivers coach) do not have a direct connection to Brown.
While it’s typical for head coaches to hire friends and people they trust as assistants. But in what alternate reality does Matt Moore still deserve to be the offensive line coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers?
West Virginia’s offensive line has been a critical concern for the entire three seasons that Neal Brown has been the head coach and Matt Moore has been in charge of that very line for all three seasons.
Moore worked with Brown at Texas Tech and Troy, and they have undoubtedly become very close friends in their personal lives. The issue here is that despite Moore’s offensive line playing extremely poorly for three consecutive seasons, Moore still has a job.
In addition, Brown’s “offensive coordinators” have no previous experience coordinating an offense and have absolutely no business leading West Virginia’s offense.
Brown being unable to fire an assistant that certainly should have been fired already is a real concern. Although it would be an awkward, uncomfortable thing for Brown to do, firing Matt Moore and other assistant coaches who are his friends is necessary for the success of the program.
So does Neal Brown care more about Neal Brown and his friends or does Neal Brown care more about the West Virginia football program? His actions suggest it’s the former.
