The Other Side of Neal Brown

Odds are you have heard of Neal Brown’s success at Troy. You’ve heard of the three ten-win seasons and the three bowl wins in only four seasons. You are

Odds are you have heard of Neal Brown’s success at Troy.

You’ve heard of the three ten-win seasons and the three bowl wins in only four seasons. You are probably aware of how his spread offense blends motion speed and involves the run game to wear down the opposing defenses. You may even have found that he was the offensive coordinator under Mark Stoops at Kentucky and the same at Texas Tech under Tommy Tuberville.

However, there’s a side to the man that you may not have discovered yet, and it might be even more important than just wins and losses.

To the state of West Virginia, football and tradition mean more than possibly anywhere else. Neal Brown embodies just that. Pride and culture is the other side of what makes the Mountaineers new head coach tick.

Neal Brown hails from Danville, Kentucky where he was a standout wide receiver at Boyle County High School. By the time he graduated, he had caught the second most passes in the history of the state. He went on to play college ball at the University of Kentucky before transferring to Massachusetts, where he earned a Masters degree in Business Administration. Coach Brown is educated, hard working and has an incredibly impressive resume. What's even more impressive is the impact he had on the Troy community, his players, and his staff. He earned their respect and they earned his.

It wasn’t by accident. It was by the culture he installed into the entire program. The same culture he's been adamant he'll bring with him to Morgantown.

Get on any social media and simply search "Neal Brown." You won’t be shocked to find that there isn’t a single bad thing said about the man. The Husband and father of three is loved by every fan base he’s been around and it’s easy to see why. He put his everything into his job to bring Troy out of the dark and led an impressive turnaround of the program. He did more than just coach for Troy. He was a leader of the school, a figure for the young men he coached to look up to and a person that everyone in that small part of Alabama loved and admired. When he held his farewell to the people of Troy, Brown grew with emotion. His heartfelt thank-you to the school and the members of the community for their support of him, the team, and his family resonated with the members of his new family in West Virginia.

To a fan base, this is what really matters. Wins and losses define a coach, but the character defines the man. There is no doubt to anyone in Mountaineer Nation that Brown is a great fit, and odds are he will have that same impact on the people of West Virginia. This job isn’t just about football to Brown. It’s about making a lasting impact and embracing the people. Neal checked all the boxes when looking for a great football coach while simultaneously checking all the boxes of being a great leader.

During his introductory press conference Thursday, Brown stated “We are going to be about three things: We’re going to develop young men, we’re going to graduate our players, and we’re going to win football games. This is not about me. This is about them.”

Neal Brown is loved by the people in his home state of Kentucky, he is loved in the community of Troy, Alabama, and he will be embraced and loved by the people of West Virginia.

To Neal Brown football is more than a sport - it's a lifestyle and a chance to make a lasting impact on the people around him. To him, that is what truly matters.