North Texas is turning the page and handing the keys to a seasoned play-caller. Neal Brown, a veteran with a decade of head-coaching experience under his belt, has been named the new head coach of the Mean Green. The university made the announcement Tuesday, signaling a new chapter for a program that's already making noise on the national stage.
Brown, 45, steps into the role after spending this past season as a special assistant to Steve Sarkisian at Texas. But his coaching résumé runs much deeper. He previously led programs at both West Virginia and Troy, bringing with him a reputation for building tough, competitive teams and developing talent with a player-first mindset.
He’ll be replacing Eric Morris, who is heading to Oklahoma State. However, Morris isn’t done just yet-he’ll remain on the sidelines for North Texas’ American Athletic Conference Championship Game on Friday night.
The 24th-ranked Mean Green, sitting at 11-1, are set to face No. 20 Tulane with a potential College Football Playoff berth on the line.
It’s a massive moment for the program, and Brown knows it.
“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with Jared [Mosley] in leading North Texas Football,” Brown said in a statement. “Football in Texas is special and my family and I can’t wait to pour everything we have into the North Texas campus and Denton.
Most importantly, our program will always be a player-driven program, and I look forward to getting to know this team and building our roster for the future. For now, let’s all get behind the Mean Green as they prepare to win an American Conference Championship.”
Brown’s most recent head-coaching stop was in Morgantown, where he led West Virginia for six seasons. His tenure there was a mixed bag-he posted a 37-35 overall record, including a 25-28 mark in Big 12 play.
After a rocky start with a 22-25 record across his first four seasons, Brown delivered a breakthrough 9-4 campaign in 2023. But a 6-6 finish in 2024 led to his dismissal.
Despite the uneven results in the win-loss column, Brown’s time at West Virginia was marked by steady roster development and flashes of high-level execution. Now, he gets a fresh start in Denton, where the program is already trending upward.
Before his stint in the Big 12, Brown made his name at Troy. From 2015 to 2018, he turned the Trojans into a Sun Belt powerhouse.
His teams racked up 35 wins over four seasons, claimed a conference title, and won three bowl games. The signature moment?
A stunning 2017 upset over LSU in Baton Rouge, which snapped the Tigers’ 46-game non-conference home winning streak. That season, Troy finished 11-2-their best FBS regular-season mark since joining the division in 2001.
Brown’s up-tempo “NASCAR” offense was firing on all cylinders, and it put Troy on the national radar.
Before becoming a head coach, Brown cut his teeth as an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and Kentucky, where he helped shape explosive offenses and gained a reputation as a sharp offensive mind with a knack for tempo and creativity.
North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley sees this hire as a perfect fit for the program’s long-term vision.
“We are thrilled to welcome Neal Brown as our next head football coach,” Mosley said. “Neal is a proven leader who builds programs with integrity, vision and an unwavering commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the field.
His history of elevating rosters, developing talent and producing results in highly competitive leagues makes him an ideal fit for North Texas. We are confident that his leadership will position the Mean Green for sustained success, and we look forward to the impact he and his family will have on our program and our community for years to come.”
Brown is inheriting a team that’s already knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff-no small feat. But with his experience, offensive pedigree, and player-first approach, North Texas is betting that he’s the right man to not just keep the momentum going, but to elevate the program even further.