West Virginia and head coach Neal Brown agreed to a one-year contract extension, the Mountaineers announced Tuesday.
Brown comes off his fifth season coaching West Virginia. He led the Mountaineers to their first nine-win season since 2016 and claimed a second bowl victory 30-10 over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
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“My first priority was retaining and rewarding our assistant coaches and support staff who have played such a critical role in our success,” Brown said. “I appreciate (athletic director) Wren (Baker)’s support on that front as well as his continued commitment to me and what we are building. We share a common vision for this program and that alignment is critical to our continued success. There are great things ahead, and I can’t wait to see our incredible fans back in Milan Puskar Stadium on August 31.”
According to John Raby of The Associated Press, Brown will “be paid $4 million in each of the next two seasons, a reduction of $100,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025 from a previous contract signed in 2021.”
Brown has coached to a 31-29 record at West Virginia. He’ll take the Mountaineers into a new era within the Big 12 Conference beginning with the 2024 season as it welcomes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the circuit.
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Brown also has previous head coaching experience at Troy from 2015-18 when he led the Trojans to a 35-16 record including three bowl wins.
The Mountaineers begin spring football drills March 25, and they’ll hold their annual Gold-Blue Spring Game on April 27.
“I am pleased with the progress I’ve seen in our football program since arriving last year,” Baker said. “I believe this contract amendment allows us to continue to build on our momentum as we begin our first year in the new and expanded Big 12 Conference. I’m appreciative of the effort Coach Brown and his staff put into developing the young people in our program both on and off the field.”
