West Virginia head coach Neal Brown understands the issues.

The Mountaineers have gone 22-25 in the first four years of his tenure and many of it boils down to some simple issues that must be overcome.

“There’s a multitude of reasons. We’ve got to win close games here and we’ve got to be more consistent at the quarterback position,” he said.

At quarterback, the program has been up and down at the most important position on the field, but the program made the decision to go more athletic there.

That is something that the Mountaineers haven’t had in recent years, but it definitely helped the program on offense last year down the stretch run last season with the program winning the final two games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

This off-season redshirt junior Garrett Greene and redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol are competing for the job and Brown said it’s a testament to their faith in them that the program didn’t go out and try to secure another quarterback in the transfer portal leading up to the season.

As for the second issue, Brown believes his team has been competitive but that isn’t good enough when it comes to finishing close games. To get over the hump, that must occur.

“In league games everybody has the opportunity to beat everybody else,” he said. “What it comes down to is the fourth quarter.”

West Virginia has been selected dead last in the Big 12 prior to the start of the season according to the league’s media poll but Brown has a different idea.

“I firmly believe we’ll be better. Pre-season poll we were last, I can guarantee you we won’t finish last. We have a much better football team than that and we’re anxious to show it,” he said.

Brown pointed to the almost 120 combined starts on the offensive line, a rising star at running back in CJ Donaldson and a defense that should be much improved after a disappointing season a year ago. His team is also aware of the expectations due to social media and the focus is on themselves.

“We want to be the best version of ourselves,” he said.

Pressure comes with the job of being a head football coach, but Brown also feels fortunate to be able to do this for a living and wants his team to be the best it can be in his fifth campaign atop the program.

“We have every intention to have a really successful football season and one our fans will be excited about,” Brown said.

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