Fresh off a nine-win season and his best one yet at West Virginia, Neal Brown’s contract has been extended an additional year through the 2027 season.
“I am pleased with the progress I’ve seen in our football program since arriving last year,” West Virginia University Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “I believe this contract amendment allows us to continue to build on our momentum as we begin our first year in the new and expanded Big 12 Conference. I’m appreciative of the effort Coach Brown and his staff put into developing the young people in our program both on and off the field.”
Sources tell MetroNews the contract renewal will decrease Brown’s annual salary over each of the next three years — from $4.1 to 4 million in 2024; $4.2 to 4 million in 2025; and $4.4 to 4.3 million in 2026. Brown is foregoing $400,000 in increases over the three years to reinvest more into the program, including staff salaries, sources say.
“My first priority was retaining and rewarding our assistant coaches and support staff who have played such a critical role in our success,” Brown said. “I appreciate Wren’s support on that front as well as his continued commitment to me and what we are building. We share a common vision for this program and that alignment is critical to our continued success. There are great things ahead, and I can’t wait to see our incredible fans back in Milan Puskar Stadium on August 31.”
Brown previously worked under a buyout that would have required West Virginia to pay him 100 percent of his remaining salary had he been fired on or before December 31, 2024, and 85 percent if he were fired in 2025. Under the new deal, Brown is paid 75 percent of his remaining salary if he’s fired at any point during the length of the contract.
If Brown leaves for another job at any point under the revamped contract, he is to pay 10 percent of his remaining total salary. Previously, Brown was required to pay 25 percent of his remaining salary had he left before December 31, 2024, and 12.5 percent of the remaining salary had he left in 2025.
Five seasons into his tenure as Mountaineer football coach, Brown had been working under a contract set to expire after the 2026 season.
The 43-year-old Brown is 31-29 in his West Virginia tenure, including a 20-24 in Big 12 Conference play. Prior to 2023, when the Mountaineers finished 6-3 in the league after being chosen last among 14 teams in the preseason poll, West Virginia had never won more than four conference games under Brown.
Brown has a 66-45 career mark over nine seasons as a head coach between a four-year stint at Troy and WVU.
