According to the university, Neal Brown, a sixth-year coach, and West Virginia have reached an agreement on a one-year contract extension that will keep Brown in Morgantown until the 2027 season. The modified terms of the agreement were not formally disclosed by the school, but according to a statement from Brown, his “first priority was retaining and rewarding our assistant coaches and support staff who have played such a critical role in our success.”
That’s consistent with local reporting, which points to Brown’s intention to reinvest in the program as justification for the modified conditions, which also include a smaller buyout and a slight pay cut.
According to Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews, Brown’s pay would have decreased by a total of $400,000 under the terms of the new four-year contract. Under Brown’s new contract, he will not be paid $4.1 million in 2024, $4.2 million in 2025, or $4.4 million in 2026. Instead, he will be paid $4 million in pay for each of the next two seasons, with an increase to $4.3 million in 2026 and an additional $4.4 million for 2027, the year he was added to his contract. Additionally, if he is fired at any time, his buyout has allegedly been reduced from 100% of the deal to 75%.
Prior to the 2023 season, Brown was one of the most well-liked contenders in the hot seat debate. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports rated him five out of five on his hot seat, pointing out that the team was coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1978–79. The Big 12 media anticipated Brown’s team to finish dead last in the conference’s preseason rankings, indicating that the Mountaineers’ chances of winning were as dim.
