If West Virginia loses the Backyard Brawl, does Neal Brown still have a job next week?

The West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Backyard Brawl in Week 3. WVU head coach Neal Brown failed to pull off the win last year after late-game turnovers placed the momentum on Pitt’s side, but the Mountaineers play host this year in Morgantown.

Brown has been with West Virginia since 2019, and the only time they have pulled off a season over .500 was in the shortened 2020 COVID season. Brown has not surpassed the six-win mark in any season, and has found himself on the hot seat in an expanding Big 12. If WVU loses Saturday, is the Neal Brown experiment done in Morgantown?

Yes. Unless the Mountaineers turn things around and start winning big in the Big 12, Brown’s era may be coming to an end as soon as next week. The Backyard Brawl is the most significant rivalry for the school, and this marks the first time since 2011 that it’s coming to Morgantown. Two Backyard Brawl losses in a row may be the final nail in the coffin for Brown, who has never won more than four in-conference games in a season.

West Virginia enters as a 2.5-point home favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. Pitt opened the week as a one-point road favorite.