As spring exercises get underway next week, Brown says the Mountaineers are “in a good place.”
W.Va.’s MORGANTOWN Neal Brown and his coaching staff will start spring practice on Monday, marking the start of the next round of preseason preparations following a four-win improvement in 2023. Before the 15 official sessions began on Thursday, the Mountaineers’ sixth-year head coach did not provide a broad objective for the 2024 campaign during his yearly spring press conference. He did, however, imply that a journey to North Texas in December might be a worthwhile endeavor.
“After nine victories and a bowl, how can you overcome setbacks and manage to finish games in a position to reach Dallas? That’s what motivates us,” Brown remarked.
The top two teams in the league will share the field for the Big 12 Championship game, which will once again be held at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
After a 9-4 season that ended with a victory against North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the fan base’s expectations and goodwill have increased.
“We’re doing well right now. Working with this group has been enjoyable, and I like them.
We’re exerting all of our effort. This has been our most effective leadership to date. It has been enjoyable to lead this group. So far, the group is close. Since our goal is to advance, we have pushed them harder this summer than any other group we have had.
The Mountaineers tied for fourth place in the conference after coming in at number 14 in the Big 12 preseason media poll conducted last summer.
“I assume that we will not be selected first or second. It’s not like these enormous expectations will be placed on us. We will continue to operate in a “prove it” manner.
The spring drills have a fresh appearance and timetable. Previous years’ spring break at the institution caused a disruption to practices. The Mountaineers will practice for five weeks straight this year, concluding on the last Saturday in April.
“The reason is that we had some soft tissue injuries when we returned from Spring Break the previous two years, practicing, I believe, on Tuesday or Wednesday of that week. Always take a look back at the previous year, noting what worked and what didn’t. Mike [Joseph] and I had noticed that we actually ought to take a buffer week.
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A couple of recent Northwestern graduates whose enrollments were made public on Thursday are among the numerous newcomers, which also include freshmen and transfers. Spring drills will allow safety Jaheem Joseph and cornerback Garrett Hollis, Jr. to compete.
“Those men have participated in a lot of football games, and they have played well in a competitive league. Without a doubt, unless they felt they could contribute, we wouldn’t bring in players who had very little eligibility left.