WVU Head Coach Neal Brown brings his Mountaineers into what is easily the biggest game of his tenure in Morgantown.
Morgantown, WV – The Mountaineers are set for a Brawl.
Ding, ding 🔔#HailWV pic.twitter.com/55T0wTnnCS
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) September 15, 2023
After a long 12-year hiatus, the Backyard Brawl finally returns to Morgantown. Tonight, West Virginia collides with the Pitt Panthers at Mountaineer Field in what is one of the most important games in recent memory.
Neal Brown, who is currently 23-26 at WVU, is on the hot seat and in dire need of a win against the school’s most bitter rival. With a win, Brown would likely cool his seat off for the foreseeable future. With a loss, well – I’m not sure there will be many nice things said about him on social media tonight.
While many are pegging the Pitt game as a live-or-die scenario for Neal Brown, expecting the university to fire him no matter the result tonight is simply implausible.
So to answer the question in the headline – No, Neal Brown will not be fired with a loss tonight to Pitt.
First and foremost, it is only game three. There is still a lot of football left to play in 2023. The Big 12 Conference seems down, and firing Brown would put WVU at a disadvantage going into league play next week against Texas Tech.
You also have to consider the fallout from such a knee jerk reaction. If Brown were to be relieved of his duties, it is hard to imagine that many players would see out the rest of the season. A mass exodus to the transfer portal would be likely, and the Mountaineers would REALLY be hurting then.
Finally, Brown’s buyout will still be heavily considered before making any decisions. Long story short, WVU still owes him a lot of money. If they would decide to part ways with him so soon, the bank account for the Mountaineers would be the one taking a major hit. The likelihood of the boosters and donors putting their money where their mouth is doubtful.
Regardless of what your feelings are for Brown, he is still our Mountaineers’ coach. As for me, I will root for him as long as he’s on that sideline.
WVU and Pitt kickoff tonight at 7:30. The game is set to broadcast on ABC.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
