How West Virginia football has improved thanks to Neal Brown’s efforts
Neal Brown has done the incredible in the last year: in just one season, he went from being a coach under close scrutiny to a highly adored figure by many fans. His task was difficult; he took over a roster that had been severely weakened by Dana Holgorsen’s abrupt departure, and the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules and the transfer portal presented obstacles to rebuilding during the COVID-19 season.
It took a long time to recover from those early setbacks, and he had to completely rethink his tactics. Fans have criticized him for his five-year overall record of 31-29, which includes two seasons with five wins. But with unwavering perseverance and a new outlook, Brown appears to have been able to turn
“After that [2022] season, where I thought we underperformed,” Brown remarked. “On many of them, I simply pressed the reset button. I don’t know, I probably didn’t come here with a six-year plan. Regarding simply imagining our appearance when we enter year six in the spring, I doubt I could respond to that.”
During the press conference, Brown went into further detail regarding the specific adjustments he made from the 2022 season that he believed were necessary.
He stated, “The main thing about that is just that there are a lot of things off the field, a lot.” However, from a basic football perspective, we want to be a team that is focused and disciplined.
Attacking lineman Ja’Quay Hubbard discussed how much the culture has changed earlier this spring on the “3 Guys Before the Game” podcast. He attributed this to the locker room being cleared of “energy vampires,” or people who detract from the positive energy there.
In December, Brown expressed his wish to have started the process earlier at a press conference, but the transfer portal regulations had not yet relaxed to the extent that they have.
He declared, “In [20]19, we would have flipped the roster more.” “I probably would have been a little more aggressive if I had the rules that are there now, even though the rules weren’t the same.”
According to Brown, he believes the reboot is in its “sixteenth month” and that his team is “making progress.” He has made an effort to change the program’s image, and he undoubtedly believes that the project is moving in the right path. He is aware that there is still more to establish, though.
He stated, “We’re working toward becoming that identity we need to be.” 16 months in, I’m happy with where we’re at. But we’re still not there.”
As far as the sheer quantity of players who can step up and have an impact on the team, Brown firmly believes that his roster is deeper than it has ever been since he joined the program.
