Report: West Virginia expected to retain Neal Brown despite AD hire

West Virginia football coach Neal Brown appears to be off the hot seat for at least one more season, as ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reports he is expected to return in 2023. This news comes in the immediate aftermath of reports that the Mountaineers are finalizing a deal with North Texas athletic director Wren Baker to take over the same athletic department.

Rumors of Neal Brown’s potential hot seat position rose earlier this season, and were heightened when athletic director Shane Lyons, who had defended his work previously, was fired. However, school president Gordon Gee quickly let his fandom of his football coach be known.

Brown is just 22-25 over four seasons with the Mountaineers, going 14-21 in Big 12 play with a 1-1 record in bowl games. His West Virginia team’s only winning season came in the shortened 2020 season, while he has never finished above the .500 mark in conference play.

West Virginia finalizing deal with Wren Baker

After parting ways with athlete director Shane Lyons just over two weeks ago, West Virginia appears locked in on the next leader of Mountaineer athletics. According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, North Texas athletic director Wren Baker is finalizing a deal to take over the vacant position.

Wren Baker took over the North Texas athletic director position in 2016, leading the Mean Green to 17 conference or division championships across seven programs during his tenure. He is also known for his fundraising abilities, a must in the NIL and transfer portal era, securing 12 of the 20 largest gifts in the school’s history, per their website.

Prior to his time at North Texas, Baker worked as a deputy athletic director at Memphis and Missouri. He worked closely with football coach Justin Fuente, also assisting in the hire of Barry Odom.

The new athletic director’s obvious connection to available options will certainly draw additional scrutiny to Neal Brown and his staff if things do not get off to a better start in 2023. However, getting this vote of confidence should provide all the momentum needed to build through the offseason knowing the school will back it up.