West Virginia, Brown contract extension provides security, flexibility
West Virginia and head coach Neal Brown have agreed to an extension.
It was a move that made sense for both parties as Brown was rewarded for a 9-4 season which saw his team finish the season ranked for the first time since taking over in 2019. And for both parties, it provides some additional flexibility moving forward.
The agreement is for an additional year putting Brown under contract through the 2027 campaign in Morgantown and changing shifting some of the terms of the contract in the process.
In the original extension in 2021, Brown was set to make $4.1 million in 2024, $4.2 million in 2025 and $4.4 million in 2026. Those figures are now $4 million in 2024 and 2025 and then $4.3 million in 2026. Brown would then make $4.4 million during the 2027 campaign as part of the deal.
Essentially Brown is sacrificing $400,000 from the original deal over the next three years to get an additional season on the contract and security over the next four campaigns.
That funding is expected to be directed toward staffing and investing in the program which are priorities for Brown when it comes to the Mountaineers.
"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.
It’s not often that head coaches leave any money on the table in the short term, but Brown is yet again betting on himself and his program after he did the same prior to last season on the field with his decision to take control of play calling.
Now, Brown is hoping the results end up similar.
It also doesn’t hurt that Brown is rewarded on the back end when it comes to financials.
The extension also made some changes to the buyout situation for both parties.
Previously, if the Mountaineers fired Brown on or before Dec. 31, 2024, they would have to pay him 100-percent of his remaining salary, 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 elects to leave for another job he would owe 10-percent of his remaining salary in the new extension while that was 25-percent if he left on of before Dec. 31, 2024, and 12.5-percent in 2025.
Essentially that makes it easier for both parties to get out of the contract if it doesn’t work for whatever reason in the coming years. That is a compromise from both.
Overall, it provides security for both parties and gives West Virginia more stability when it comes to recruiting and as Brown and his coaches continue to build the program. That is important for many coaches and having those four years is something that will help when it comes to selling the program.
Clearly, the extension helps, but the focus will remain on the 2024 campaign and how the Mountaineers continue the upward trajectory with a challenging slate ahead.
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