Social media erupted with criticism of WVU head football coach Neal Brown after his weekly press conference Monday. The issue was Brown’s comments when a reporter asked him what message he had for the fans after three disappointing losses.
Here is the part of the answer that triggered the heat:
“I get that they want to win, but I would say is did they have a good time? Did they enjoy it? It was a pretty good atmosphere. I’m assuming they had a pretty good time tailgating, so if they are in the deal for enjoyment then I would come back,” Brown said.
Some interpreted Brown’s comments to mean that he believes having fun at the game is more important than winning.
First, it was an awkward answer. Mountaineer Nation is disappointed. Losing hurts, especially when fans invest time and an increasing amount of money to be at the games. The last thing they want to hear is, yes, but it was a good time.
But I think what Brown was trying to do was be positive about the WVU football experience and make a pitch for fans to stay engaged. The idea that Brown is trying to convince fans that the party is bigger than the plays is implausible.
What else in Brown’s press conference Monday—or for that matter, what else in Brown’s tenure—suggests that he believes winning is less important than the party? I counted at least two dozen times during Monday’s presser that he took responsibility for the loss, empathized with disappointed fans, and gave credit to the fans for the atmosphere last Saturday night.
And, if you listen to his entire response to the question, you will hear Brown say that he understands fan frustration and that he hopes, “They come back for another entertaining game but hopefully we can play better at the end and win.”
One of Brown’s attributes which makes him vulnerable to criticism is that he actually tries to answer questions. His press conferences and interviews typically include specific bits of information that are relevant to the previous game, the upcoming contest and the on-field performances.
So many coaches, and for that matter public officials, obfuscate, try to shift the narrative or just refuse to answer. There are also worst case scenarios where coaches or politicians ban reporters if they don’t like the questions. Brown has consistently taken all questions and spent his time here engaged with Mountaineer Nation.
But I am not naïve. Yes, character matters, but coaches are judged by success on the field. Brown’s record is 34-32 after five-and-a-half seasons. Fans were expecting more this year. The Pitt loss will be a season-long canker sore and the Iowa State defeat on what was otherwise a festive night reinforced the idea that Mountaineers are barely treading water in the conference.
Fans who invest their time, energy and money expect better, and it’s up to Brown, his staff and the players who are now paid for their performance to deliver. If Brown loses his job, it will be because of wins and losses, not because he made an innocuous comment that was taken out of context on social media.
(You can watch the entire Brown press conference here and judge for yourself.)