Neal Brown, who had strong coaching success at Troy but couldn't consistently translate it to his run atop West Virginia, has plenty of options in the current coaching cycle.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Brown is a central figure in the head coaching search at Appalachian State and could now be in the mix at Charlotte as well.
The former fired Shawn Clark on Monday after Clark endured 17 losses across the past three seasons in Boone, N.C.; Charlotte parted with Biff Poggi following two miserable seasons in mid-November.
A former Kentucky player who finished his career at UMass and then later served as Kentucky offensive coordinator, Brown was approached about the UMass vacancy multiple times in recent weeks -- even prior to Brown's departure from his post atop the West Virginia program.
As this week unfolded and Brown officially split with West Virginia, he quickly heard from other universities. Sources tell FootballScoop Brown is in the top group at App State. At Charlotte, sources tell FootballScoop that search had focused on NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson; however after Gibson turned down the opportunity, Charlotte engaged in conversations with Brown and continues to discuss the opportunity with Bobby Petrino among others.
Additionally, sources tell FootballScoop that Brown has Power Conference, top-level assistant coaching possibilities, including at the offensive coordinator spot.
But Appalachian State has long been considered one of the Group of Five's most appealing jobs and a consistent competitor; Charlotte's invested considerably into the program's facilities and is a booming metropolitan area.
Timing is critical this week with the earlier-than-ever NCAA December Signing Period. It opens Wednesday and runs through Friday, with the NCAA Transfer Portal Window opening later this month from Dec. 9-28.
West Virginia, per contract terms from its restructured deal with Brown earlier in 2024, owes him 75% of his remaining salary -- somewhere in the neighborhood of $9 million. However, West Virginia officials did negotiate offset language into Brown's amended deal, meaning that if he accepts a new job somewhere that West Virginia is relieved of paying that portion of Brown's salary.
So, if Brown accepts a position at a program where he's earning, hypothetically, $1.5 million per year, that's $1.5 million less that West Virginia must pay.
Clark's total compensation package atop AppState was just shy of $1 million, per public data; Poggi was earning $1 million per year at Charlotte.
Most Power Conference offensive and defensive coordinators are making closer to $1.4-1.5 million in the current marketplace, with more coordinators than at any time making more than $2 million -- on both offense and defense.