Between The Eers: Something Special is Brewing
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 We talked about it yesterday and it happened yesterday.
00:13 Neil Brown getting a new contract
00:16 as he's extended through the 2027 season.
00:20 It's a one year extension
00:22 and we'll get into some of the details here in a minute
00:25 as to why it's actually a really good move.
00:28 Whether you like Neil Brown or not,
00:30 whether you believe he's the guy for the job or not,
00:32 we'll get into that here in just a second,
00:34 but make sure you hit that subscribe button
00:36 on YouTube at Mountaineers Now
00:37 and give us a like, follow us on X at the same handle.
00:41 I'm Skylar Callen, this is Between the Ears.
00:43 So let's dive right in.
00:45 So with this new extension,
00:47 the details are, according to Metro News,
00:52 Neil Brown is actually taking a pay cut.
00:55 So that's first and foremost, let's throw this out there
00:58 because I think a lot of people,
01:00 when they hear the word extension,
01:03 they're thinking, oh my goodness,
01:04 we're committing more money for more years
01:08 and why are they doing this off of just one good year?
01:13 That's not the case here whatsoever.
01:15 Really, what Neil is doing is really kind of
01:19 taking advantage of this little window
01:21 that he has created in this program really
01:24 and where they could really be contenders
01:27 for the Big 12 title over the next couple of years.
01:30 And he's wanting to make the most of it
01:32 by taking some of that money out of his paycheck,
01:35 putting it into the paychecks of the assistants,
01:39 the football support staff,
01:41 whatever the athletic department needs
01:43 to give him the resources to be successful.
01:47 I don't think I've ever seen that happen.
01:51 When is the last time a head coach in any sport
01:55 has agreed to take a pay cut
01:57 and get extended in the same breath?
02:01 I don't think that that may be a first.
02:05 It may have happened before,
02:07 but at this level, I don't recall.
02:10 To me, that shows two things.
02:12 That shows one, that he cares about his assistants
02:16 and that he's a really good dude.
02:18 And we already knew that.
02:19 We already knew that Neil's a high class guy, first class,
02:24 but he really wants to make sure that the guys
02:28 that has helped West Virginia get to where they are now
02:32 remain in place.
02:36 And that gets lost in all this.
02:37 Oh, they gave him an extension, they gave him an extension.
02:40 It doesn't matter about the years.
02:41 The years don't mean a thing in contracts.
02:46 One, have they ever meant anything.
02:48 The only thing that they really mean
02:50 is when they go on the road and recruit,
02:53 because he can look at a recruit in the eyes and tell him,
02:55 hey, I'm here till 2027.
02:57 But if he's on the road and he's talking about the future
03:02 and the recruit says, well, coach, how long are you there?
03:07 And he says, right now until I'm under contract to 2026,
03:11 it's a little bit dicier.
03:15 And so, and I'll just go and throw this out there too.
03:18 If he wins again this year,
03:21 if they win nine, 10 games this year,
03:24 he's probably going to get another extension next year.
03:28 And that's a smart way to do this by Ren Baker.
03:32 He's not committing a large amounts of money.
03:36 Obviously they took a step back with the pay cut
03:40 and he's taking this smartly
03:43 because he doesn't want to get this into a situation
03:47 where if they have to part ways with Neil,
03:50 because the 24 season goes way downhill,
03:54 they're not screwed.
03:56 That's the second part of this.
03:59 The buyout is the second part.
04:02 Before, if West Virginia had fired Neil
04:06 on or before December 31st of this year.
04:12 So basically by the end of the season,
04:15 they would have had to owe him 100%
04:19 of the remaining salary that he was due.
04:22 Every single set would have went to Neil Brown.
04:25 Now, under this new contract,
04:29 they only have to pay him 75%
04:32 of what his remaining salary is.
04:35 Doesn't sound like a big difference,
04:37 but 25% matters when you're talking about
04:41 millions of dollars, right?
04:43 So it's a more friendlier deal
04:47 because the buyout's lower,
04:50 because the annual salary is a little lower,
04:52 but that's going to get redispersed elsewhere.
04:55 But it protects West Virginia
05:00 because you don't have to pay him
05:02 exactly 100% of that remaining contract.
05:06 That was a really tough thing to deal with
05:09 in the first place.
05:11 That's partially why I would imagine
05:13 that he probably was sticking around.
05:17 The other part of it was too,
05:17 because Wren just got here
05:19 and wanted to really get his hands on the program
05:22 and really see where this thing was.
05:23 But it's kind of hard to part ways with a coach
05:27 when you own 100% of his contract if you fire him.
05:30 75%, still hard, but it's not as hard.
05:34 The part that kind of comes back to Neil
05:40 is if he were to leave for another job,
05:43 he will be asked to pay 10% of his remaining contract
05:50 as opposed to the 25% that he would have paid.
05:54 So there's a 15% difference there
05:57 as if he were to leave at the end of this season.
06:04 Say things go well, they win 10, 11 games,
06:08 some big coaching jobs open up,
06:10 some school tries to pry him away and they do,
06:13 he's only got to pay in 10% as opposed to 25.
06:16 So there's a little bit of give and take there.
06:19 But that could probably strike into some people's minds
06:24 as, well, does that mean he's betting on himself
06:28 and he could get a new job?
06:29 I don't see it as that, because Neil wants to be here.
06:34 And that's what a mountain of your fans
06:36 need to be psyched up about.
06:38 And I get it's hard to really suppress
06:43 those first four years, right?
06:45 I get it, I get it.
06:46 But nine wins this past year
06:49 with a team that was picked to finish dead last
06:52 in the Big 12, with a quarterback
06:54 we had no idea what he could really do.
06:56 They won nine games.
06:59 The hell with what the schedule was.
07:03 They won nine games.
07:05 Nobody, and I mean nobody,
07:09 even the most optimistic fans in West Virginia
07:12 never said nine wins.
07:14 So don't come at me or don't come and bring up this whole,
07:19 oh, they had the easy schedule crap.
07:22 You didn't even think they'd win nine games.
07:25 Even with that schedule.
07:27 Let's be real.
07:28 I know I didn't.
07:30 And I know a lot of people that are the most optimistic
07:33 people in this fan base never had nine wins.
07:37 Give the man his credit.
07:39 Was it an easier schedule?
07:42 Yes, absolutely.
07:44 Is next year's schedule tougher?
07:46 Yes, absolutely.
07:49 But let's see.
07:51 If anything, this is the time where West Virginia fans
07:55 should be the most excited they've ever been.
07:58 At least since, I don't know, 2018,
08:00 or if you want to go further back to the Gino and Tave
08:04 on this.
08:04 Why?
08:07 Because there's a chance for something to really build here
08:10 and I would argue that the 2024 season,
08:14 off season I should say,
08:16 should have more hope and more excitement
08:19 than the one in 2018.
08:21 Because going into that 2018 season, that was it, man.
08:26 Like that was the win or we're done type of year, right?
08:31 I mean, Dana pushed all of his chips into the table
08:35 for that 2018 season and he was banking on that team
08:39 wanting something big.
08:41 Don't believe me?
08:43 Look at the recruiting class that year.
08:46 He didn't even have a quarterback committed in that class.
08:50 It was a small class that he was recruiting.
08:55 Even on the existing roster in 2018, a lot of seniors.
09:00 After that, a lot of young guys.
09:03 He went all in on 2018 and winning in 2018 big.
09:08 Once that season ended, it was gonna be over with.
09:12 Why do you think he bowled it?
09:13 He won eight games with that team that he should have
09:18 easily, easily made it to the Big 12 Championship with.
09:21 And he didn't.
09:23 He thought, damn, well, eight wins.
09:25 I can't win with this team.
09:27 When am I gonna win?
09:29 So he left.
09:32 There was nothing there.
09:33 There was nothing there behind that group of Will Greer,
09:37 Gary Jennings, David Sills.
09:40 There was nothing behind that.
09:42 That's why he left.
09:44 Because if he couldn't win with the group
09:46 before that was his best, when was he gonna win?
09:49 But with this 2024 group,
09:53 Neil Brown just won nine games.
09:54 Again, the hell with the schedule.
09:56 No one's gonna talk about the damn schedule.
10:00 When we're talking about national people, recruits,
10:04 they don't care.
10:05 They see nine wins.
10:06 That's what they talk about.
10:07 Nine wins with Garrett Green starting as his quarterback
10:15 for the first time.
10:17 He's got a bunch of young guys stepping up at receiver
10:22 because older guys like Cortez Bram and Jeremiah Aaron
10:26 didn't pan out.
10:28 He had a walk-on, a former walk-on, Hudson Clement,
10:34 break into this,
10:37 I don't even know what we wanna call him yet.
10:41 I wouldn't say he's quite the star,
10:42 but man, did he break out.
10:46 Earns a scholarship.
10:46 Now he's one of the top receivers on the roster.
10:51 Traylon Ray showed some flashes.
10:53 Rodney Gallagher showed some flashes.
10:56 Oh, freshman, Jaheim White.
11:00 He didn't even play really until November.
11:05 And he finished with a couple hundred yards shy of 1,000.
11:12 I mean, the dude balled out in a month
11:18 and had numbers for his season
11:20 that most people would love to have in a year.
11:23 And he had it in a month and some change.
11:25 And then you have C.J. Donaldson.
11:30 You have an offensive line.
11:32 Even if you lose Zach Frazier, you lose Doug Nestor,
11:36 you still have a very veteran-laden offensive line.
11:41 The defense is revamped.
11:44 You got all of your pieces back.
11:47 You've got more health at linebacker.
11:49 You've got more depth at safety, more depth at corner.
11:53 You got maybe the best pass rusher
11:55 Neil Brown has ever had at West Virginia and Thai French.
12:00 How can you not be excited?
12:04 I don't understand it.
12:05 And again, I've been on record multiple times
12:09 saying let's be cautious here.
12:12 This could be another eight or nine win season.
12:14 And that's okay.
12:16 Because the schedule is tougher.
12:18 But you also have to realize
12:22 that this is still a very young football team.
12:24 It doesn't have to be 2024 or bust.
12:28 This is about building and building and building,
12:31 winning nine games, winning nine games,
12:34 maybe cracking through and winning 10 or 11
12:36 the following year.
12:37 And then getting to the Big 12 Championship
12:39 and so on and so forth.
12:41 Now, could they get to the Big 12 Championship
12:44 or the College Football Playoff this year?
12:45 Yes, absolutely.
12:47 But that shouldn't be the expectation.
12:51 This is still a very young team.
12:54 Look at, if you don't believe me, look at the starters.
12:58 They're all young.
12:59 All young.
13:02 At least the core pieces of them are.
13:06 You've got some seniors out there, sure.
13:08 We're talking about Ben Cutter, Trey Lathan,
13:12 Josiah Trotter, Jordan and Josiah Jackson, TJ Crandall.
13:17 That's the defense, all young.
13:20 Offensively, I mean, we already went through that.
13:24 They're young all over the place.
13:27 That's why it's not 2024 or bust
13:30 like it was six years ago with Dana, Will Greer,
13:35 and so on and so forth.
13:36 You have to be excited about this stuff.
13:40 Stop bitching, moaning, whining, complaining about,
13:44 oh, they're giving Neil Brown another year.
13:46 The hell with the years.
13:49 Understand the contract.
13:51 It doesn't matter.
13:53 All this does is give Neil more of an opportunity
13:56 to keep his players, not his players,
13:59 but to keep his staff and his support staff in place.
14:02 All it does is give him more of a fighter's chance
14:07 when he goes on the road and recruits
14:09 because he can say, I'm here to 2027.
14:12 And if things don't work out, it doesn't matter
14:17 because they can get rid of him at the end of the year
14:19 if that's what needs to happen.
14:22 And they won't have to be as snake bitten by the contract
14:28 because of the buyout.
14:30 They don't have to pay 100%.
14:31 They don't have to pay him every damn penny that he'll do.
14:34 They have to give him 75%.
14:36 That's a much, much different conversation
14:39 we're talking about here, folks.
14:41 Wake up.
14:42 Stop thinking and hearing extension and thinking,
14:48 oh my gosh, more money, more years.
14:51 Read the details.
14:52 This is a damn good deal for WVU.
14:55 This is what all these fans have been talking about.
14:58 Well, he should be taking a pay cut.
15:00 Oh, he shouldn't even be here.
15:04 He may get your wish either way,
15:06 but if you're not a Neil Brown guy
15:08 and they get rid of him, it's going to cost less.
15:12 Be happy.
15:14 Put a smile on, but let's be real here.
15:17 You should be more happy, not because of the buyouts lower,
15:23 but be more happy because you got a coach
15:26 that wants to win here, who wants to build stuff here.
15:30 You thought you had it years ago.
15:33 We saw what happened with that,
15:37 but you've got somebody that wants to do it here
15:40 and he's building something with a young core.
15:44 And again, it may not be 24,
15:48 so don't get all pissed off if it doesn't happen in 24,
15:52 but 25 and 26, those years that he's under contract,
15:59 it's going to happen.
16:05 As long as everything falls into place,
16:08 Neil Brown is going to build a contender here.
16:11 This is something that West Virginia fans
16:14 should be excited about.
16:16 You have not only a coach that wants to be here,
16:18 wants to build something here,
16:20 he has taken the first step in building something,
16:24 but he's doing everything as a West Virginian should,
16:29 or would.
16:30 He's taking care of his people.
16:34 That to me is the type of guy that I would want
16:39 running my program.
16:43 If I were Ren Baker,
16:45 I don't know how these conversations came about.
16:47 I don't know if Ren approached Neil about it.
16:49 I don't think that would have been the case.
16:52 I think Neil probably came to Ren and said,
16:53 "Hey, what can we do to up the assistant salary pool?"
16:58 Or, "What can we do to put more money here or here?"
17:02 And they began the conversations.
17:04 But for him to actually agree to it and sign to it
17:10 means something.
17:11 Class act guy.
17:14 You're not going to find very many better than Neil Brown.
17:19 We all know what he can do as a person.
17:23 He is a great, great dude.
17:25 Now you're really about to find out
17:29 what he's about to do on the football field.
17:33 Just hang in there.
17:35 I promise.
17:36 So let's take a step back, relax,
17:38 get a little excited for once.
17:41 I mean, come on.
17:42 This is the first time in how many years
17:44 that you can be really excited
17:46 about West Virginia football in the off season.
17:49 It's March.
17:50 It's the first week of March.
17:51 And I'm fired up because I don't have to cover a team
17:59 or I'm going into it dreading like,
18:01 "Oh man, when August rolls around,
18:04 it's going to be a bunch of hot seat talk.
18:08 Can they get to a bowl game?
18:11 Can they be competitive?"
18:13 No, we're talking about something real here, man.
18:16 Can they get into that top 12?
18:19 Can they get into a New Year's six-ish type of bowl
18:24 if it's not the college football playoffs?
18:26 I know that all that lingo has changed now,
18:29 but can they have a good year again?
18:32 Because if they do, if they win eight or nine games again,
18:38 you're going to see this thing take off.
18:41 He goes through these next two years winning nine,
18:46 eight, nine, or 10 games.
18:48 You know, at some point they're going to break through.
18:51 Let's have some excitement this off season.
18:55 Let's stop the talk about Neil Brown and his future
18:58 because in the end, it's all going to play itself out.
19:01 It will, just like it did this past year.
19:06 I kept saying, I said, "You know what?
19:08 I don't know if I totally agree with the situation.
19:12 I don't know if he's the guy or not,
19:13 but I understood why Renne Baker kept him
19:16 because he needed time to really evaluate the situation,
19:20 much like he's doing in the basketball situation.
19:22 He didn't go out and hire a full coach on a whim.
19:25 No, he said, "You know what?
19:26 We're going to go the interim route.
19:27 We're going to go the whole year,
19:29 get a really good pulse for what this program needs,
19:32 and then we're going to go get the guy that really fits us."
19:35 He did the same thing with football,
19:37 but he didn't have an interim.
19:37 He already had a guy in place.
19:40 Now he sees, "Hey, if we got a strong NIL,
19:44 we got the right guy in charge, I think this could work."
19:49 So he bet on himself before, and he won.
19:54 He's betting on himself here again by taking that pay cut.
19:57 And if he wins again, he'll see that money.
20:03 That money will come back around.
20:05 So again, let's get a little excited this offseason.
20:10 Let's get the juice flowing.
20:12 Spring football's coming back here
20:14 in about a week and a half or so.
20:16 Let's have some fun with it.
20:19 Let's not make March to August this drag, right?
20:23 But we're going to make it a blast this offseason.
20:26 So speaking of which, I think next week,
20:29 we're going to bring Eugene Napoleon on here.
20:32 I know we haven't had him on since,
20:34 I believe the bowl game preview
20:37 on the Walkthrough Game Day show.
20:39 So we're going to bring him back.
20:40 We're going to talk some football
20:41 as spring ball gets fired up.
20:44 And it's always a good time to talk to Gene
20:46 because he can get your juices flowing for sure.
20:48 So that'll do it for us here today on Between the Ears.
20:52 I'm Skylar Callahan.
20:53 Make sure you hit that subscribe button
20:56 and smash that like button on our YouTube channel
21:00 at Mountain Ears Now.
21:01 And we'll be back here tonight
21:03 as we will recap West Virginia's senior night action
21:07 on the men's basketball side of things
21:10 between Mountain Ears and the TCU Horned Frogs.
21:13 So until then, take care.
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