FILE - Tennessee players run onto the field at Neyland Stadium before an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Texas A&M Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
Steve Sarkisian has taken Texas to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons, and the Longhorns expect to compete for a national championship once again in 2025. To help bolster his staff, Sarkisian may tap one of his former Big 12 rivals for a job—former West Virginia coach Neal Brown—according to 247Sports‘ Matt Zenitz.
Brown, who was fired by the Mountaineers at the conclusion of the 2024 season, was let go after leading the program to a 6–6 record. He was 37–35 at WVU after a strong four-year run as the head coach at Troy. Brown is no stranger to the Lone Star State or the SEC; prior to landing the Troy job he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky and Texas Tech.
It is not clear what Brown’s role will be, but he has primarily coached quarterbacks and wide receivers during his years as an assistant coach.
Sarkisian and Brown overlapped for three seasons atop their respective programs in the Big 12, splitting a pair of games. West Virginia won its 2021 home game in Morgantown, 31–23, while Texas got its payback the following year in Austin, 38–20.
