Neal Brown

It only took a year for former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown to find a new head coaching gig.

Brown was named the head coach of North Texas on Tuesday night, replacing Eric Morris, who left to take the vacant Oklahoma State job. Brown reportedly inked a five-year deal with the Mean Green, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“We are thrilled to welcome Neal Brown as our next head football coach,” North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley said, per release. “Neal is a proven leader who builds programs with integrity, vision and an unwavering commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the field. His history of elevating rosters, developing talent and producing results in highly competitive leagues makes him an ideal fit for North Texas. We are confident that his leadership will position the Mean Green for sustained success, and we look forward to the impact he and his family will have on our program and our community for years to come.”

After being fired from WVU in 2024, Brown spent this season as a special assistant to Steve Sarkisian on his staff at Texas. The Long Horns are 9-3 on the year, have had multiple ranked wins and are ranked No. 13 in the recent College Football Playoff rankings.

Brown is mostly known for his six seasons with the Mountaineers, starting in 2019. He led WVU to a 37-35 record and four bowl games. But after a 6-6 2024 season, with a lot of preseason promises, Brown was fired.

Before WVU, Brown coached at Troy for four years, where he had a lot of success. He had three 10-plus win seasons and had the Trojans ranked in the top 25 in 2016. Brown had a 35-16 record, landing him the job in Morgantown.

Now, Brown is back on his feet, after a one-year hiatus, and has big shoes to fill. Morris has the Mean Green ranked 24th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and a spot in the American Conference Championship.

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with Jared in leading North Texas Football,” Brown said per release. “Several key criteria drove my analysis of opportunities this cycle – alignment, relationships, resources, opportunity, and community. Jared and his team presented a clear vision of why North Texas and Denton check all those boxes and then some. Football in Texas is special and my family and I can’t wait to pour everything we have into the North Texas campus and Denton. Most importantly, our program will always be a player-driven program, and I look forward to getting to know this team and building our roster for the future. For now, let’s all get behind the Mean Green as they prepare to win an American Conference Championship.”