Neal Brown is 'Fired Up' About WVU's Potential in 2024

The West Virginia head coach is expecting big things from this year's team.

Schuyler Callihan | Aug 2, 2024

Christopher Hall

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West Virginia Mountaineers

The hype is real, folks. This year's edition of West Virginia football is looking to become the first to win a Big 12 championship and for really only the second time since joining the conference back in 2012, it feels like a realistic possibility.

Offensively, West Virginia returns 93% of its rushing production, four of its top five receivers, and six offensive linemen with starting experience at the collegiate level. Defensively, it's a veteran-laden group up front, the deepest and most talented linebacking corps since 2018, and a retooled secondary with loads of potential.

On paper, the schedule doesn't look all that easy, but there's no telling how things will unfold. The one thing WVU head coach Neal Brown does know is that he really likes this team.

"I'll start with this, I'm fired up about this group. So this is year 22 for me as a coach, year 10 as a head coach, and probably as excited as I've been.

"I really feel comfortable with our staff, and it's layered. Everybody can coach, which I think is a good rule. I think that'll help us especially in fall camp, and within our development guys once we get into season. Our support areas are really strong right now, academic strength conditioning, nutrition, sports psych, athletic training, our medical group. I feel like they were really strong in those support areas. I really liked the leadership of this team. If you look at the guys that have been here and grown through our culture, really pleased where that's at."

It took a little longer than Brown and everyone involved would have liked, but several things were thrown at him and his staff early on in his tenure that they had to navigate through. With a strong NIL foundation now in place, they've been able to retain key players and develop the young talent who will be the future of the program. It's starting to feel more and more like West Virginia is returning to national relevance.

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