When Did Wren Baker Know He Was Going to Fire Neal Brown? He Shares the Details

A timeline of when the decision was made to move off of Neal Brown.

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

The 2024 season wasn't what anyone expected in Morgantown. Not Neal Brown. Not the players. Not the staff. Not the WVU administration. And certainly, not director of athletics Wren Baker.

“I think Coach Brown and I would both say every time it felt like there was a chance to get some momentum, we just couldn’t get there," Baker stated. "We didn’t play as well as we thought we should and could in that opener against Penn State. That Pitt loss certainly, that hurt. We had a couple opportunities to get it back, a couple big opportunities here at home, weren’t able to seize those.”

In a year filled with many disappointments and interesting remarks from the head coach, fans have been calling for a change at the head coach position since September. West Virginia has never fired a coach in the middle of the season, and Wren Baker wasn't about to be the first AD to make that kind of move.

As a matter of fact, he told reporters during his press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he will never fire a head coach during the season, noting that it does absolutely nothing positive for the program and can only make the situation worse. The only time a move would be made in-season is if something "illegal" took place where the coach got into some serious troubles.

So, when did Wren knew he was going to make a change?

“Saturday night into Sunday," Baker said. "I know there are people who will say, well, he had to know before then. No, I think it’s important you keep your mind open and let every data point arrive. It was really when I got back and had some time Saturday and into Sunday to really look holistically at where we were at with our program and what I thought put us in the best position moving forward.”

Baker admitted that there is no perfect timing to make a move, especially when the early signing period and transfer portal window are scheduled so closely to the end of the season. However, Baker is only worried about what he can control and that's finding the right man to lead the Mountaineer football program.

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