Morgantown, West Virginia – It’s not a good sign for the West Virginia football program when people in the national media are discussing who will likely replace the head coach of the team following the season.
Neal Brown, who is 22-25 overall and 14-21 in the Big 12 Conference in four seasons with the Mountaineers, will return as the head coach of West Virginia this season, but will start the year on the hot seat.
The Cover 3 Podcast discussed who could replace Neal Brown if/when the Mountaineers fail to meet expectations again this season. After speculating about Jimbo Fisher returning home before acknowledging that his buyout would still be too big, here’s the list that they came up with:
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty head coach – “If he goes to Liberty and lights it up and he thinks it’s a good fit, I think he could win big at West Virginia. It seemed like he was in line for a bigger job, but maybe he wants to stay at Liberty for the next 10 years. But if he wants a bigger job, I think West Virginia makes a lot of sense.”
Manny Diaz, former Miami head coach, current defensive coordinator at Penn State – “I think if Penn State has a really good year defensively, I can see him being back in the mix as a head coaching candidate.”
Garrett Riley, Clemson offensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley’s brother – I think Garrett Riley will be pegged for any school. If Clemson plays well and the offense has a resurgence, I think Garrett Riley will be a really highly sought coach and I think he would make a great fit too.”
Neal Brown still has his job and clearly all West Virginia fans want to see him succeed in the upcoming season, but the Mountaineers have the 3rd most challenging schedule in the nation and it’s very likely that West Virginia will have to find a replacement for him either during the season or following another season filled with disappointment.
See the full discussion below (Neal Brown discussion begins at 37:40):
