Neal Brown has said and done everything perfectly since arriving in Morgantown as the Head Coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers. He’s so deliberate, so measured in his speech and actions that he can come across as robotic to some people, but ultimately he’s also very sincere.
Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy’s decision to wear a “OAN” (One America News, a far-right pro-Trump cable channel) was unusual to say the least. He clearly should not be fired, but it was certainly a poor decision at this time in history. While people should be able to have an their own opinion and express themselves in any way they wish, particularly during his/her private time, Gundy is a leader of a largely black group of young men, and when he put that shirt on to go fishing, he should have known better.
Gundy’s lack of awareness during an unprecedented time is startling and what became clear to me today is that West Virginia fans will not ever have to worry about this with Neal Brown. Brown is far too aware and would never do something that would hurt his players, team or football program.
In today’s climate, everything should be considered. Would Neal Brown really go fishing with a potentially damaging t shirt on and then also take a picture of it and post it on social media? Of course not.
You will not wake up one morning to news that Neal Brown was drunk and kicked out of a casino in the middle of the night, nor will will you hear about Brown having an extramarital affair. He will not say the wrong things in interviews and he will not be caught posting inappropriate pictures on social media.
The fact that we as West Virginia fans don’t have to worry about Neal Brown making an ass of himself of the university is a really, really big deal. He will only ever represent our state and university in the way that we hope, and that’s a quality that we can’t take for granted. Through all of his polish and couth, Neal Brown is a very real person and an outstanding representative of what it means to be a Mountaineer.
