West Virginia football: 5 biggest surprises from the 2019 season

1. Neal Brown

First-year head coach Neal Brown has been the Mountaineers’ biggest surprise of the 2019 season. He posted a remarkable 35-16 record at Troy before making the leap that included three 10-win seasons and three bowl victories. He also notched a Top 25 win versus LSU in 2017. So his resume spoke volumes, but it’s Brown’s voice that has calmed Mountaineer Nation.

How many times did you hear the phrase “Trust The Climb” in 2019? That was Brown and his staff’s motto. Then the players bought in. And then the fans. People started to believe in what he was building. It didn’t happen overnight, though, and it was the same when he took over at Troy. But Brown’s done this before, certainly not of this magnitude, but he’s built a football program. You’ve just got to trust him.

Brown’s trying to develop that trust through embracing and learning about West Virginia culture, too, from visiting with his players off the field to road-tripping to Appalachian coal mines. For some coaches, the position is strictly about the game. But for Brown, the job goes well beyond the field.