West Virginia reaches deal with Neal Brown

Scott Shelton Staff Writer Troy head football coach Neal Brown has accepted a deal to be West Virginia’s head football coach, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. Brown has agreed in principle to become the Mountaineers’ next head coach and will receive a six-year deal, according to Stadium Network’s Brett McMurphy. Brown was 35-16 in four seasons as the Trojans’ head coach. In the last three seasons, Brown achieved a 31-8 record, including a bowl win in each season. In 2016, the team started 8-1, and the Trojans became the first Sun Belt team ever to be ranked in the top 25 by the Associated Press. In 2017, Brown led the team to an 11-2 record highlighted by a road wins at LSU and Arkansas State. The win against the Red Wolves clinched a share of the Sun Belt Championship. Brown was awarded Sun Belt Coach of the Year for that season. In 2018, the Trojans’ season was highlighted by a road win at Nebraska, a 7-1 Sun Belt Conference record, a share of the first ever Sun Belt East division title and Brown’s second Dollar General Bowl win in three years. West Virginia’s last head coach Dana Holgorsen will be the next head coach at the University of Houston after the Cougars fired Major Applewhite on Sunday. Brown will inherit a West Virginia team that finished 8-4 and climbed as high as sixth in the rankings last season.