North Texas hires ex-WVU coach Neal Brown as head coach, to take over at end of season

North Texas employed Neal Brown to be its subsequent soccer coach, the varsity introduced Tuesday. Brown has a decade of head-coaching expertise, together with a 35-16 report at Troy and a 37-35 report at West Virginia. He spent final season as a particular assistant at Texas.

Brown will exchange Eric Morris, who’s departing to take the Oklahoma State job. Morris will coach the Imply Inexperienced (11-1) in Friday’s American Athletic Convention championship sport towards Tulane (10-2). The winner of that matchup will possible earn a spot within the 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff, which might be the primary playoff look in program historical past for both college.

Morris will coach the crew within the postseason, however Brown will get an opportunity to take over a crew coming off one of the best season in program historical past subsequent 12 months. Earlier than this 12 months, North Texas had by no means received 10 video games.

“Soccer in Texas is particular, and my household and I can’t wait to pour all the things we now have into the North Texas campus,” Brown stated within the college’s launch. “Most significantly, our program will at all times be a player-driven program, and I sit up for attending to know this crew and constructing our roster for the long run.”

Brown was fired by West Virginia in 2024 after he posted solely two successful seasons in six years with this system. He went 25-28 within the Huge 12. The Mountaineers had a rocky begin throughout his tenure, with a 22-25 report in his first 4 seasons, earlier than rebounding with a 9-4 marketing campaign in 2023. However after a 6-6 end in 2024, the varsity selected to dismiss him.

At Troy, Brown led one of many prime non-Energy 4 packages. After a four-win season in his first 12 months, he led the Trojans to a Solar Belt title, three consecutive bowl sport wins and a few of the greatest offenses within the convention. He received the Solar Belt Coach of the 12 months award in 2017 after an 11-2 season.

“Neal is a confirmed chief who builds packages with integrity, imaginative and prescient and an unwavering dedication to growing student-athletes on and off the sphere,” North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley stated within the assertion. “His historical past of elevating rosters, growing expertise and producing ends in extremely aggressive leagues makes him a really perfect match for North Texas.”