North Texas names Brown to replace Oklahoma State-bound Morris

DENTON, Texas (AP) — North Texas has named Neal Brown as its new head coach, to replace Eric Morris after the playoff-chasing No. 20 Mean Green complete their record-breaking season.

The appointment of Brown on Tuesday came days before North Texas (11-1) plays at No. 21 Tulane (10-2) in the American Conference championship game. The winner Friday night likely will make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Morris, 22-15 in his three seasons at UNT, last week was named Oklahoma State’s head coach. North Texas has already had its first 11-win season. He has said he will coach the Mean Green until the season is over, even if they win the conference, get snubbed by the CFP and end up in a bowl game with not much at stake.

Brown, the 45-year-old former West Virginia and Troy coach, has spent this season at Texas as a special offensive assistant for coach Steve Sarkisian.

It was one year ago Monday that Brown was fired by West Virginia after going 37-35 over six seasons (2019-24). The Mountaineers, who were 6-6 before going to a bowl game after he was let go, never were ranked in the AP Top 25 poll or played for a Big 12 championship during his time.

Before West Virginia, Brown had a 35-16 record at Troy from 2015-18. That included winning the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2017.

The West Virginia AD who initially retained and then extended Brown is Wren Baker, who held that same role at North Texas before being succeeded by current AD Jared Mosley, previously the athletic department's associate VP and chief operating officer.

Morris will be taking over an Oklahoma State team that finished 3-9 this year while going winless in Big 12 Conference games for the second season in a row.

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