Neal Brown's Contract + Buyout

A rough start to the season doesn't mean Brown will be out of Morgantown before the end of the year.

In April of 2021, WVU athletic director Shane Lyons announced a two-year contract extension for head football coach Neal Brown, running through the 2026 season. At the time, it felt as if the program was on its way up as Brown led the team to a 6-4 record in a COVID-shortened season. The Mountaineers won the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Army and also went undefeated at home that season.

Since the extension, Brown has a 9-13 record. After Saturday's loss to Iowa State, West Virginia dropped to 3-6 on the season with a 1-5 record in Big 12 play. This means that there is absolutely no margin for error if the Mountaineers are going to go bowling. They must win out. With Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State as the remaining opponents, that seems unlikely.

It's safe to say that Neal Brown's job security is in a dangerous spot given the current record and the uphill battle that lies ahead. How much would it cost WVU to fire him?

In the contract obtained by the Daily Athenaeum through the Freedom of Information Act, it states that if Brown is fired before January 1st, 2023, WVU will owe him approximately $20 million. If they wait until after that date, the buyout drops to approximately $16.7 million. However, waiting until after January 1st is highly unlikely because it only saves the school a few million dollars, and they would be getting into the coaching carousel extremely late.

The way the contract is constructed, Brown would be paid 100% of his total remaining salary if he is fired on or before December 31st, 2024. If a firing would occur after that date, he would be owed 85% of his total remaining salary.

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