The West Virginia job is open. Neal Brown was fired Sunday, in the future after a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech to complete the common season at 6-6.
Brown went 37-35 in six seasons. The spotlight was a 9-4 report in 2023 and 4 bowl-eligible seasons in six years. But Brown received greater than six video games simply as soon as. He went 31-8 in his remaining three years as Troy head coach however couldn’t discover the identical high-level success in Morgantown.
So how good is the West Virginia job? What names may get within the combine? Based on conversations with trade sources, here’s a breakdown of the job and the potential names to look at.
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Recent historical past/custom: B+
Making bowl video games is the norm for this program, having missed out simply 4 occasions since 2002. There’s a common consistency that goes again to the Eighties, with six convention championships since 2003 and three BCS bowls since 2005. The followers anticipate success and sometimes get at the very least a few of it.
But the ceiling isn’t what it as soon as was. West Virginia completed the 2018 season ranked No. 18, and it hasn’t been ranked since then. It’s simply one among three Power 4 applications to not attain the Top 25 in that interval, together with Texas Tech and Rutgers. The program has clearly slipped, and one thing wanted to alter.
On-field outlook: B
The Mountaineers are eleventh within the Big 12 in scoring offense and thirteenth in scoring protection this season. That offense was powered by a dashing recreation that completed forty eighth within the FBS in yards per carry. Sophomore operating again Jahiem White was a brilliant spot with 817 dashing yards and 7 touchdowns, and junior again CJ Donaldson Jr. had 651 yards and 9 touchdowns. But dual-threat quarterback Garrett Greene is about to graduate, as is gifted defensive lineman TJ Jackson II, who has 6.5 sacks.
West Virginia is tenth within the Big 12 in 247Sports’ Team Talent rankings, 54th nationally. There are some constructing block items right here, particularly within the run recreation, however it’s so exhausting to foretell who will keep on the roster amid a training change. There isn’t a lot of an area recruiting base, and when West Virginia has had its most success, it’s usually come from discovering good gamers out of Florida.
Money issues: B
West Virginia discovered itself in a uncommon spot six years in the past as a Power 5 faculty that noticed its head coach go away for a Group of 5 job when Dana Holgorsen went to Houston (which is now a Big 12 member). It occurred for just a few causes, together with stagnating on-field efficiency and stalled contract negotiations. Brown’s $4 million wage in 2024 was close to the underside of the Big 12 however not too removed from the higher half. The buyout is round $9 million, however it may be partially offset if and when Brown takes one other teaching job. West Virginia was close to the underside of the Big 12 in soccer spending in 2022, in accordance with Sportico’s database, however post-realignment, the Mountaineers are a bit nearer to the center of the pack.
West Virginia is in respectable form in identify, picture and likeness help via its Country Roads Trust collective. The program landed quarterback JT Daniels when he left Georgia, although Daniels left after one season. Athletic director Wren Baker has stated West Virginia plans to completely spend to the cap on income sharing within the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement.
University stability: D+
The college itself has struggled mightily lately. Enrollment continues to say no, dropping under 25,000 this fall. Last yr, the college reduce greater than 140 college jobs and 28 majors resulting from a multimillion-dollar deficit. The hope is issues will stabilize in 2025. Much of this decline has come beneath president E. Gordon Gee, who plans to retire when his contract expires subsequent June. Multiple faculty assemblies handed symbolic votes of no confidence in Gee amid final yr’s cuts. The expectation is {that a} new president will likely be named subsequent spring.
Baker arrived as athletic director in late 2022 from North Texas to switch Shane Lyons amid athletic price range points and soccer struggles. While Baker has labored to extend income streams, he’s now tasked with discovering a coach who can take the soccer program to a better stage.
Coach pool: A-
Will Jacksonville State head Rich Rodriguez get within the combine? The native son and alumnus went 60-26 as WVU head coach from 2001 to ‘07 with three top-five finishes, coming one win away from a BCS nationwide championship look in 2007. His departure from the college to Michigan produced a messy authorized struggle, and he was fired after three years in Ann Arbor. He took Arizona to 5 bowls in six years from 2012 to ’17, together with a Fiesta Bowl, earlier than he was fired for off-field private conduct allegations that left directors “involved with the route and local weather of the soccer program” (a lawsuit by a former administrative assistant was dismissed). He’s now 26-10 in three seasons at Jax State, together with 17-8 since transferring as much as the FBS, and led the Gamecocks to this yr’s Conference USA championship recreation. He continues to win virtually in every single place, and he’s nonetheless obtained a number of highly effective associates within the state.
Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton continues to win regardless of dropping coaches and gamers to greater colleges. He’s 48-30 and has received at the very least eight video games 5 occasions in six seasons whereas seeing offensive coordinators like Zach Kittley and Ben Arbuckle flip success into larger stage jobs. The Hilltoppers will play for the Conference USA championship this weekend, and Helton could possibly be within the combine at North Carolina and Purdue as effectively.
Ohio head coach Tim Albin has been within the combine for just a few jobs lately and is one other coach profitable massive regardless of program turnover. He took over from Frank Solich proper earlier than the 2021 season and is 29-10 during the last three years. The Bobcats this week will attempt to win their first MAC championship since 1968, and their 9-3 report this season has come regardless of dropping quarterback Kurtis Rourke to Indiana and dropping main rusher Sieh Bangura to Minnesota final offseason. Athens, Ohio, can be not removed from the West Virginia border. He is aware of the world.
Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell is 42-10 as a head coach since 2020, profitable at the very least 11 video games 3 times throughout stints at Coastal Carolina and Liberty, together with a Fiesta Bowl look final yr. The East Tennessee native has received massive in every single place he’s been and runs an thrilling offense. His lack of Power 4 expertise has damage his candidacy for some SEC jobs, however he has proven he can do extra with much less at Coastal. The sources at Liberty dwarf its friends, and his wage is already believed to be round $4 million. He can afford to be picky. But star quarterback Kaidon Salter simply entered the switch portal, and Liberty has misplaced some key gamers to the portal lately. Will that affect his thought course of?
UNLV head coach Barry Odom is 19-7 in two seasons with the Rebels, one of the best run for this system in half a century. They hadn’t received greater than eight video games in a season in 40 years. Odom has made sensible employees hires, particularly on offense, and improved from his 25-25 run as Missouri head coach. He’s obtained a convention championship to play on this weekend, and a College Football Playoff recreation after that if the Rebels win.
Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has produced an offense that led its convention in yards per play for 3 consecutive seasons, two at Kansas and one at Penn State. The Minnesota native is aware of the Midwest, and he may get West Virginia again to its enjoyable offensive soccer roots. But he’s additionally obtained a convention championship recreation and CFP recreation to educate in.
Penn State co-offensive coordinator Ja’Juan Seider is a former West Virginia participant and spent seven years on employees. The Florida native recruits the Sunshine State very effectively, and that’s the place WVU has gotten a few of its finest gamers. He is aware of the world and has some native help. Again, the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP are nonetheless to return for Penn State.
Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield has continued a strong run of success since taking on after Mike Norvell. Silverfield is 41-21 in 5 seasons, with 5 bowl video games and the primary run of consecutive 10-win seasons in program historical past these previous two years. He hasn’t gotten excessive with an AAC Championship Game look, however the Tigers have had an electrical offense and finished effectively within the switch portal.
Army head coach Jeff Monken was within the combine for the Illinois and Kansas jobs lately. He’s obtained Army at 10-1 this season, enjoying for the AAC championship within the Black Knights’ first yr within the convention, and he’s received at the very least 9 video games 5 occasions since 2017 after taking on a moribund program. Monken has additionally made it identified he doesn’t should run a triple-option offense at one other job, and Ken Niumatalolo’s success at San Jose State this yr may assist the notion of service academy coaches.
James Madison head coach Bob Chesney is in his first season at JMU, ending an 8-4 common season regardless of dropping many key gamers from final yr, and he has received in every single place he’s been, now 119-50 as a head coach. He’s additionally a Pennsylvania native.
Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson coached at WVU from 2011 to ’14, together with three years as offensive coordinator beneath Holgorsen. He’s now directing the No. 1 scoring offense within the nation at Miami with Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward.
Could former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher return right here? The West Virginia native has a tangential historical past with this system via his relationship with the Bowden household. He performed quarterback beneath Terry Bowden, son of legendary former WVU and Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. Fisher received a nationwide championship at FSU, a part of an 83-23 report there. He went 45-25 in six years at Texas A&M and signed a No. 1 recruiting class, however he by no means received greater than 9 video games and flamed out to the tune of a report $77.5 million buyout. He’s 59 years outdated and has stayed largely out of the general public eye for the previous yr, and West Virginia doesn’t have the sources of his final two jobs. Would he even need to get again in?
Overall grade: B
The flooring is excessive right here, however the ceiling hasn’t been, from the recruiting base to monetary sources. There is deep fan help and a proud historical past right here, however can actuality line as much as expectations? Or can a brand new coach change that actuality and convey again the high-level success of the outdated days? The headwinds are tough.
(Photo: Ryan Hunt / Getty Images)
