MAILBAG: Neal Brown's Buyout, Falling Flat, Did Garrett Greene Regress? + More

Answering this week's questions from WVU fans.

West Virginia University head coach Neal Brown. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Following West Virginia's 28-16 loss to No. 11 Iowa State, our weekly mailbag quickly filled up with several questions surrounding head coach Neal Brown, the defense, and the uncertain future of the program.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Why do we crumble so hard when it comes to playing a ranked team and do you think we need to find a new staff for that to change? We played close with Iowa State in the first half and then let them pull away after that.

A: There's a lot that needs to change, in my opinion. At the end of the day, all of the responsibility falls on the head coach. As far as the Iowa State game goes, it's a bit of an outlier. Crumbling in the second half versus them was almost expected. This season, the Cyclones are outscoring their opponents 103-26 in the second half which they have defensive coordinator Jon Heacock to thank for. As for the other losses versus ranked teams, it's a mix of coaching, execution, and discipline.

From @wvuremfan:

Q: At what point is enough enough? HCNB gets us to a point where we feel good about ourselves, only to pull a Lucy to our collective Charlie Brown. He has proven himself capable of doing no more than what he has. There is nothing left to be excited for.

A: Haha! Love the Charlie Brown reference! Some would argue that point was reached after the Backyard Brawl. Obviously, you're not going to dismiss a coach three games into the season, but I've heard a lot from the fans that that game is where they drew the line. I hate to be that guy, but technically they are still every bit in this race as anyone in the Big 12. Does that mean they will be in two weeks? No, but until they're eliminated, there's still enough to get excited about. Football goes by so fast. Enjoy the victories as much as you can and take it one at a time.

From @Prattsteins:

Q: What’s the safety issue? 3 blown plays by the safeties just taking the wrong read. A lot of the team played really well tonight but the safety mishaps and the wild snaps threw off the momentum for WVU big time.

A: it certainly did. On Iowa State's first touchdown of the game, one side of the defense got one play call and the other side got another. How that happens, I'm not sure but it happened. Communication has been a major issue in the back end and it has been dating back to the spring. Not finding two solid corners and safeties has caused a lot of rotations which doesn't help build chemistry/trust.

From @tmcobb04:

Q: Why is Neal still relying on Hollis and Garnes. At this point put in the young guys and develop them. We are giving chunk pass plays anyway. I want to see the Jackson Brothers, Zae Jennings, etc.

A: It's not a great answer, but that's the best they can field right now. I do agree that Hollis has been a major disappointment, but I do think Garnes will improve with more snaps. Is he ever going to be a lockdown guy? No, but he can be a solid corner in 2025. There are several reasons the younger options you mentioned haven't seen an expanded role just yet. Don't be surprised though to see more of them in the final three or four games of the season.

From @Kyle_Hardesty:

Q: Buyout amounts per game vs after the season.

A: Without getting too deep into the math (sorry, it's 4 a.m. as I'm doing this), it's 75% of his remaining salary when/if he is fired, regardless of when that takes place. He has already made most of his money for this season because he gets paid throughout the calendar year. The deeper you get into the season, the more it becomes a waste of money when you do fire him, if that makes sense.

From @nothingman2021:

Q: We isn’t Marchiol playing when Greene has regressed. Is Neal too close and doesn’t want to hurt feelings?

A: Wait a minute. Hold on now just one second. That completion percentage has spiked a whole 3.2% since last year!! That's sarcasm if you couldn't tell haha. I understand sticking by Greene because he won the job and is a senior and all that jazz, but I don't see why Neal took such offense to the question asked in postgame about inserting Nicco at the end of the game when the game was already decided. Most coaches would have made that move. My gut tells me if WVU loses it's next two, we'll start to see Nicco implemented a little more.

From @BestVirginia1:

Q: Will the pain ever end?

A: Have you purchased College Football 25? I highly recommend it. You can win national championships and beat Pitt by 172 whenever you want. Sorry, that's the only way I know how to answer this one.

From @FauxNealBreezy:

Q: What changes do you make? DC, C, QB, HC? Which ones? We as fans are tired of mediocrity.

A: I wouldn't look at quarterback or center. Brandon Yates is playing through a hand injury and had been playing well up until Saturday. That's on Neal for leaving him out there to look the way he did. Although Jon Heacock is an incredibly good defensive coordinator, Neal never made adjustments in the second half when ISU bottled up the run game. It always, always falls on the coaching staff.

From @goJohnnyA:

Q: Who is the next coach? This isn’t working.

A: No idea, but I'm sure if the Mountaineers lose to Kansas State on Saturday fans will begin curating their own list of preferred candidates. WVU's hope is that they've just lost to three really good football teams and that they find a way to win eight or more games so they don't have to make a change.

From @Mountiealum97:

Q: One question why is this acceptable as a P5 HC on year 6????? Zero wins vs. P5 teams ranked by season's end. Only 6 wins against P5 teams who finish the season with a winning record. Those teams ended their seasons: 8-5, 8-5, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.

A: I think one of those teams (Virginia Tech) may have actually finished with a sub .500 record, but you'll have to fact-check me on that. But to your point, it's atrocious. No one is going to feel bad about losing to the now 9th-ranked team in the country. But when you continue to lose winnable games because of a lack of focus and discipline, that's what sets you and the rest of the fanbase off, and rightfully so.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Zach Frazier Leaves Game Early vs. Raiders

Rocco Becht Admits Little History with WVU, Happy to Leave WVU with a 'Dub'

Betting Odds for West Virginia vs. Kansas State

Why So Many High Snaps? Neal Brown Explains Reasoning for Sticking with Brandon Yates