Shane Lyons has done it. West Virginia’s athletic director has recorded a major win by going out and hiring the hottest up-and-coming head coach on the market to lead the Mountaineers.
Mountaineer Nation - I am excited to announce Coach Neal Brown as our 35th @WVUfootball coach. Please welcome Neal, his wife, Brooke, and their children, Adalyn, Anslee and Dax, to West Virginia! #HailWV pic.twitter.com/Rc6r50LaG7
— Shane Lyons (@WVUADLyons) January 5, 2019
The former Troy Trojans head coach will officially be joining the Mountaineers. Here’s Lyons’ statement from the official press release:
“I am excited that Neal Brown and his family have decided to call West Virginia University their next home. When I started this national search, I learned very quickly that he checked all the boxes of what I was looking for in our next football coach. There is no question that the Mountaineers are West Virginia’s team, and I know our fans are going to love his energy, passion, work ethic and excitement that he is going to bring to our program. I look forward to working together and supporting him and his staff to bring championships to Morgantown.”
And here are the words from Neal Brown, the Mountaineers 35th head coach, also from the official press release:
On behalf of my wife, Brooke, and our children, Adalyn, Anslee and Dax, we are thrilled to join the Mountaineer Football Family and become a part of Mountaineer Nation.
I want to thank President Gordon Gee, Athletics Director Shane Lyons and Deputy Athletics Director Keli Zinn for giving me this tremendous opportunity to lead the West Virginia football program and the young men who give their all for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia has a long and successful history. I am looking forward to adding to that great tradition and strengthening our place in the Big 12 Conference and nationally.
We will work hard, play hard and do things the right way to make the people from the great state of West Virginia proud of their program. That will be a foundational element of our culture. I can’t wait to meet our team and get to work!”