WVU’s difficult schedule could spell the end of HC Neal Brown

WVU fans have been active on social media, discussing the disappointing missed opportunities in the season’s opening weeks to now be 2-2. While last season was better than expected, the well of goodwill for head coach Neal Brown could be bone dry before the next scheduled bye week for the Mountaineers.  

Let’s break down the next few games for WVU and take a look at the outlook for the team and its coach.

Oct. 5 at Oklahoma State: Even at 3-2 and with a questionable offensive identity, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are currently favored in this week’s contest. Since joining the Big 12, the Mountaineers have only defeated the Cowboys three times — and only one of those being in Stillwater. After dropping two conference clashes, head coach Mike Gundy and his OSU team will look for a get-right game. With WVU being weaker in rushing defense, Ollie Gordon II and the Cowboys might look to establish a balanced ground attack.

Oct. 12 vs. No. 16 Iowa State: With a win against their rivals for the Cy-Hawk Trophy and an unblemished record, Iowa State is an obvious dark horse for the title picture. With a Week 6 home game against the 2-3 Baylor Bears, there’s good cause to believe WVU will face an undefeated Cyclone squad when head coach Matt Campbell and company head to Morgantown. With considerable difficulty containing scrambling quarterbacks like Drew Allar, Eli Holstein, and Jalon Daniels, Cyclones QB Rocco Becht might prove problematic. 

Oct. 19 vs. No. 20 Kansas State: Avery Johnson, DJ Giddens and the whole Kansas State team shook off the loss to BYU and overwhelmed Oklahoma State in Week 5. Giddens put up 187 yards rushing, which could pose a concern for a WVU defensive line that allowed Kansas Jayhawks RB Devin Neal to rack up 110 rushing yards in Week 4. 

Oct. 26 at Arizona: Arizona showed this past week that it was ready to wipe the bad taste out of its mouth after getting routed by Kansas State in a non-conference competition. So, it went on the road and crushed Utah in Salt Lake City. With a highly suspect secondary, the Mountaineers will have a hard time on the road with the duo of quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. 

When you evaluate the hot-seat margins of WVU’s head coach, consider:

• Neal Brown has never had the Mountaineers ranked in his previous five years. 
• He is 33-31 (.516) overall but only 21-24 (.467) in Big 12 conference play.
• He has no signature wins that do not come with an asterisk. 
• Fumbled a double-digit lead to rival Pitt in the final minutes of the 2024 Backyard Brawl.

Now, in the sixth year of fans being asked to “Trust the Climb,” failure in this upcoming stretch could see WVU athletic director Wren Baker forced to start a coaching hunt to preserve fan loyalty.