The Brown File
Personal Information |
Birthday |
March 11 |
Hometown |
Danville, Ky. |
Education |
UMass, 2002 (Bachelor's)
UMass, 2005 (Master's) |
Playing Career |
Kentucky, 1998-00
UMass, 2001-02 |
Wife |
Brooke |
Children |
Adalyn, Anslee, Dax |
Coaching History |
2003 |
UMass -
Tight Ends/Offensive Line Assistant |
2004 |
Sacred Heart -
Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers |
2005 |
Delaware -
Wide Receivers |
2006-07 |
Troy -
Inside Receivers |
2008-09 |
Troy -
Offensive Coordinator |
2010-12 |
Texas Tech -
Offensive Coordinator |
2013-14 |
Kentucky -
Offensive Coordinator |
2015-18 |
Troy -
Head Coach |
2019-present |
West Virginia -
Head Coach |
Neal Brown is in his sixth year as the football coach at West Virginia University.
Entering the 2023 season, the Mountaineer Football program was branded with the label “No. 14” – picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll by the league media.
However, Brown, his coaching staff and the entire program used that number as the motivation needed to generate the best year of Mountaineer football since 2018, registering a 9-4 overall record, including a 30-10 win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, a 6-3 mark in the league, and a No. 25 final ranking in the AFCA Final Coaches Poll.
Brown posted his best record at WVU in 2023, facing arguably the toughest schedule in his tenure. He earned Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year honors by Heartland College Sports.
The 6-3 conference finish tied the Mountaineers for fourth place – 10 spots better than originally predicted. Since becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference in 2012, WVU has had only one better season, 2016, when it won seven wins.
After leading the nation in passes defended and pass breakups, No. 2 in forced incompletions and was ranked among the top 20 in interceptions, cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. was named WVU’s 13th consensus All-America in school history. Zach Frazier, one of the top centers in the nation, earned All-America honors for the second time during his career. Running back Jahiem White was named a freshman All-American by several teams, quarterback Garrett Greene was named the bowl MVP of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and running back CJ Donaldson Jr. was ranked among the Top 5 in the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns.
Bishop was a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, signifying the best defensive player in the nation. Frazier was a finalist for the
William V. Campbell Trophy, the academic Heisman, earned a spot on the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Team and became the program's 31st Academic All-American selection by the College Sports Communicators. He also was a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
West Virginia placed four players on the all-conference team, Bishop and Frazier on first team and offensive tackle Wyatt Milum and tight end Kole Taylor on the second team.
The Mountaineers had one of the best offensive lines in the nation, producing the best rushing mark in Power 5 football, averaging 228.9 yards per game and scoring a league tying best 32 rushing touchdowns. WVU was the only school in the league to finish with more than 2,000 rushing yards in conference games (2,211). West Virginia currently leads the nation with 16 straight games of producing more than 140 rushing yards, three more than the next team on the list.
West Virginia gave up a league-low 10 sacks for the season, including only three in league games, ranking No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 among Power 5 schools. Among Power 5 schools, the Mountaineers were No. 16 in total offense, producing 5,650 yards and tied for No. 19 nationally in first down offense. That included having more than 450 yards of total offense in seven games, including producing 500 or more yards five times. WVU scored 30 or more points in seven of its last eight games.
Greene finished the season in the top five of the Big 12 in total offense, passing for more than 2,400 yards, rushing for more than 750 yards and was responsible for 29 touchdowns. He was second in the nation in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and among Power 5 players he was No. 2 nationally in passing yards per completion (16.4), and among Power 5 players, he was No. 4 in rushing yards per carry and No. 15 in yards per pass attempt (8.7).
West Virginia’s defense was No. 1 in the Big 12 in sacks (33) and No. 2 in tackles for loss (84).
Kicker Michael Hayes was ranked No. 34 nationally in field goal percentage, hitting 17-of-21 attempts (.810), punt returner Preston Fox is No. 28, averaging 8.1 yards per return, and punter Oliver Straw led the punting unit that was ranked No. 5 nationally in punt return defense.
Brown continues to support and champion program leadership by the players, emphasizing a dedication to the individual student-athlete. His mission is in the development of each player as a complete person, not only on the field, but off, and for each to continuously build themselves and their brand to make a difference in the world after their football career is finished.
One of the first player initiatives that Brown implemented for the team was the 5th Quarter Program to assist in the development of the total player, not only on the field, but for life beyond graduation. The pillars of the program are character development, leadership development, real life, social responsibility and career development. With the name, image and likeness legislation enacted in July 2021, Brown did his due diligence in advance to ensure that his players were prepared, no matter how involved the process becomes in the future.
Another component of the 5th Quarter Program is the Bridge program. Its goal is to introduce the student-athletes to the college experience when they first enter WVU and give them their final training before they embark into life after graduation.
In 2022, WVU expanded the 5th Quarter Program by adding the Chambers Elite Climbers Program. The Chambers Elite Climbers was created to provide unique educational opportunities for select student-athletes thanks to a nearly $1.6 million gift from WVU alumni John and Elaine Chambers. The Chambers Elite Climbers is a supplemental two-year program that provides additional and professional growth opportunities to student-athletes chosen through a competitive application process.
The 2022 Mountaineers finished the season, defeating rival Virginia Tech to hold on to the Black Diamond Trophy and winning two of the final three games, including wins against Oklahoma and at Oklahoma State. The win over Oklahoma marked the first Big 12 Conference win over the Sooners, and the win over the Cowboys was the first since 2014. WVU defeated 2021 Big 12 Champion Baylor and won at Virginia Tech, retaining the Black Diamond Trophy for the second straight year and will retain it for the foreseeable future.
West Virginia had 21 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 Teams, kicker Casey Legg earned a spot on the prestigious College Sports Communicators Academic All-American Second Team, and WVU had nine players named to one of three postseason Big 12 all-conference teams by media organizations. Dante Stills and Zach Frazier earned first-team all-conference honors, and Stills was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2021 squad finished with six wins and had its share of positives, including earning a bowl bid to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, its second in a row under Brown. WVU has earned a spot in a bowl game in 18 of the last 21 years. Running back Leddie Brown rushed for 1,000 yards for the second year in a row, and WVU was fourth in the Big 12 in average passing yards per game (247.9). The Mountaineer defense finished No. 5 nationally in red-zone defense, No. 18 in the fewest first downs allowed and No. 29 in third-down defense.
The Mountaineers defeated No. 15 Virginia Tech, marking the highest-ranked win of the Brown era and also defeated No. 22 Iowa State to tie for the most wins against ranked teams in a season since 2007.
West Virginia had a program-best 24 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 Teams, safety Sean Mahone was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the academic Heisman, and he earned a spot on the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Team. Legg was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza National Kicking Award and WVU had nine players named to one of three postseason Big 12 all-conference teams by media organizations.
Frazier was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation and American Football Coaches Association’s All-America teams, and Milum was named to three freshman All-America teams. Defensive lineman Dante Stills was named an All-Big 12 First Team honoree, and Frazier earned a spot on the second team.
The 2020 season was Brown’s most challenging season to date, testing his ability, not only as a coach, but as a leader. He was forced to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March, which didn’t allow for spring practice or offseason workouts and skill instruction, while social unrest was at a high level nationally during the summer. Even though the program constantly was forced to deal with the effects and protocols of COVID-19 during the season, the Mountaineers stayed the course, finishing the season 6-4 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12. Brown made his first bowl appearance as the coach of West Virginia against Army in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, winning the game, 24-21.
Five players earned All-America honors, led by Darius Stills, who was the school’s first Consensus All-American since 2006 and 12th in school history. Tony Fields II, Tykee Smith and Dante Stills were named to at least one All-America team, and freshmen Zach Frazier and Akheem Mesidor were named to Freshman All-America teams. In April, Fields was drafted by the Cleveland Browns to extend WVU’s string of consecutive years of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft since 2008, while five players signed free-agent contracts.
Eight players were named to the All-Big 12 Conference postseason teams, led by first-team honorees Fields II, also defensive newcomer of the year, Darius Stills, also defensive lineman of the year, and Leddie Brown, a first-team running back.
The Mountaineers finished the 2019 season with a 5-7 mark, in what was called a transitional year. WVU finished the regular season winning two of the final three games, at Kansas State and at TCU, and had a 3-3 mark on the road, including a 3-2 road record in the Big 12 Conference.
Five of Brown’s players were named to All-Big 12 postseason teams, and Colton McKivitz was named the Big 12’s Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year. McKivitz earned spots on two All-America teams - Walter Camp Football Foundation’s Second Team and the Associated Press’ Third Team, and Tykee Smith was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. McKivitz played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Brown, one of six FBS coaches to win 10 or more games in 2016, 2017 and 2018, was named WVU’s 35th head football coach on Jan. 5, 2019.
He spent the previous four years as the head coach at Troy University (2015-18), compiling a 35-16 record, including 3-0 in bowl games. In his final three seasons, the Trojans posted a 31-8 record (.795), tying for the highest winning percentage nationally among non-Power 5 schools.
Before Brown left after the 2018 season, Troy had won 17 of its last 20 games and 22 of its last 26 games. After directing the Trojans to the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championship, Brown was honored as the league’s coach of the year.
During his highly successful tenure at Troy, Brown’s signature wins included a 24-21 victory in 2017 at then-No. 22 LSU in Baton Rouge, which snapped the Tigers’ 49-game non-conference home winning streak, and a 24-19 win at Nebraska on Sept. 15, 2018. Also impressive was his team’s narrow 30-24 loss at eventual 2016 national champion Clemson.
In 2018, Troy finished 10-3, including a victory over Buffalo in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The Trojans finished 7-1 in conference play and won five of their last six games.
The 2017 campaign featured an 11-win season for Troy, including a win over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. The Trojans once again finished with a 7-1 conference mark, earning Brown his first conference championship. Troy finished the season with the 27th most votes in the final Amway Coaches Poll, marking the highest final ranking by a Sun Belt Conference squad in league history.
Troy faced seven bowl teams and posted a 6-1 mark in those games. Additionally, the Trojans played three conference or conference division champions – Boise State (Mountain West), Akron (MAC/East) and North Texas (C-USA West).
Troy finished 10-3 in 2016, including a 6-2 mark in the Sun Belt and a victory over Ohio University in the Dollar General Bowl. The Trojans became the first Sun Belt Conference school to ever open a season with eight wins in its first nine games, and they became the first league school to appear in a major top 25 poll, checking in at No. 25 in the Associated Press’ Nov. 13 poll. Additionally, Brown’s 2016 squad tied for the best turnaround in the country (six wins).
Prior to Brown’s first season at Troy in 2015, he spent two years (2013-14) as the offensive coordinator under Mark Stoops at Kentucky. Under his direction, he led the Wildcats to some new heights on the offensive side of the football. The Wildcats posted more than 440 yards of total offense in three Southeastern Conference games in 2014, its highest total since 2001.
The Wildcats totaled 380 yards or more of total offense in their first three SEC games in 2014 – Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina – marking the first time a UK team had done so since 1998. Kentucky scored 21 offensive touchdowns in SEC play in 2014.
The two years prior to Brown being named offensive coordinator, Kentucky had a combined 21 offensive touchdowns in SEC play.
He also spent three years at Texas Tech (2010-12) as the offensive coordinator after his first stint at Troy as an assistant coach from 2006-09.
As Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the Red Raiders ranked in the nation’s top-seven teams in passing offense, top 15 in total offense and top 25 in scoring offense, having increased production in all three categories each year since 2010. TTU finished the 2012 season second nationally in passing with 355.9 yards per game, 13th in total offense at 495.4 yards per game and 20th in scoring with 37.5 points per game.
The 2012 campaign was an expansion of the success from 2011, when Texas Tech ranked 13th nationally in total offense at 470.6 yards per
game. The Red Raiders lit the scoreboard at a tune of 33.8 points per contest. In his first season in Lubbock, Brown’s offense notched 460.2 yards of total offense per game, including 318.9 passing, and scored at a 33.1-point clip as Tech went 8-5 and won the TicketCity Bowl.
At Troy, Brown was the inside receivers coach the first two years (2006-07) with the Trojans before transitioning to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2008-09. Troy won four Sun Belt Conference titles and appeared in three bowl games during Brown’s initial tenure.
He began his coaching career with one-year stints at UMass (2003), Sacred Heart (2004) and Delaware (2005).
At Delaware, Brown served as wide receivers coach, starting three freshman wideouts as the Blue Hens went 6-5.
In 2004, Brown coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers at Sacred Heart, boasting the top-ranked scoring offense in the conference.
In 2003, he was the tight ends coach and offensive line assistant at Massachusetts, helping the Minutemen win a share of the Atlantic-10 championship and a berth in the FCS playoffs.
Brown was a wide receiver at Kentucky for three years (1998-2000) before finishing his career at UMass in 2001-02. He was a member of two bowl
teams with the Wildcats and was named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
While at UMass, he was an Atlantic 10 All-Academic honoree and an NCAA Division I-AA Athletic Directors’ Academic All-Star team selection.
Brown graduated from UMass with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2002 and earned his master’s degree in business administration in 2005.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Brown grew up in Bardstown, Kentucky, before moving to Danville, Kentucky, where he was an all-state wide receiver at Boyle County High School, finishing his career as the No. 2 receiver in state history.
Brown and his wife, Brooke, have two daughters, Adalyn and Anslee, and a son, Dax.
Career Record
Year |
School |
Record |
Conf. Record |
Conf. Finish |
Postseason |
2015 |
Troy |
4-8 |
3-5 |
T-5th |
|
2016 |
Troy |
10-3 |
6-2 |
T-3rd |
Dollar General Bowl (W) |
2017 |
Troy |
11-2 |
7-1 |
T-1st |
New Orleans Bowl (W) |
2018 |
Troy |
10-3 |
7-1 |
T-1st (West) |
Dollar General Bowl (W) |
Troy Totals |
35-16 (.686) |
23-9 (.719) |
|
|
2019 |
West Virginia |
5-7 |
3-6 |
T-7th |
|
2020 |
West Virginia |
6-4 |
4-4 |
5th |
AutoZone Liberty Bowl (W) |
2021 |
West Virginia |
6-7 |
4-5 |
T-5th |
Guaranteed Rate Bowl (L) |
2022 |
West Virginia |
5-7 |
3-6 |
T-7th |
2023 |
West Virginia |
9-4 |
6-3 |
T-4th |
Duke's Mayo Bowl (W) |
West Virginia Totals |
31-29 (.517) |
20-24 (.455) |
|
|
Career Totals |
57-41 (.582) |
43-33 (.566) |
|
|
Neal Brown's NFL Players
Dante Stills
Arizona Cardinals
Tony Fields II
Cleveland Browns
Colton McKivitz
San Francisco 49ers
Keith Washington II
New Orleans Saints
Will Sunderland
Green Bay Packers
Jordan Chunn
New York Giants
Damion Willis
Denver Broncos
Antonio Garcia
New England Patriots
DeAndre Washington
Oakland Raiders
Le'Raven Clark
Philadelphia Eagles
Jakeem Grant
Miami Dolphins
Bradley Marquez
St. Louis Rams
Jace Amaro
Kansas City Chiefs
Wilson Van Hooser
New England Patriots
LaAdrian Waddle
New England Patriots
Jerrel Jernigan
New York Giants
Levi Brown
Buffalo Bills
Gary Banks
San Diego Chargers