"They look like a MAC team": Big 12 coach brutally honest assessment of West Virginia Mountaineers football program

The West Virginia Mountaineers will enter the 2022 season with the hope of remaining competitive in Big 12 play. An anonymous Big 12 coach recently compared the school to a Mid-American Conference program suggesting they don't have the talent to compete.

The coach told Athlon Sports (via 247 Sports):

"This might be the worst roster in the league. They have some talent, but they’re not physical at all. They’re really small, especially compared to the old WVU teams. The defense is legitimately bad.

"They look like a MAC team compared to the rest of the league, and [Neal Brown] didn’t fire his coaches. He’s a really loyal guy, but it’s also a sign he knows it’s a personnel issue. They lost [quarterback] JT [Daniels] and [offensive coordinator Graham] Harrell. I think you can say that experiment didn’t work out like they thought it would."

The West Virginia Mountaineers have faced significant challenges in their recruiting efforts, placing them at a disadvantage. Their roster lacks any five-star prospects and has seen limited success in securing four-star recruits. Consequently, coach Neal Brown finds himself under increasing pressure, given his underwhelming record of 22-25 since taking over in 2019.

Throughout his four-year tenure, the Mountaineers have managed to achieve a winning season on only one occasion, with a 6-4 finish in the COVID-19-abbreviated 2020 season.

Can the West Virginia Mountaineers be a competitive team in 2023?

The 2022 season proved to be a disappointment for the West Virginia Mountaineers, as they finished 5-7, including a lackluster 3-6 in Big 12 play. West Virginia ended up as the second-worst team in the conference, failing to qualify for a bowl game.

Offensively, the Mountaineers ranked in the middle of the pack, averaging 30.6 points per game, placing them 51st out of 131 teams nationwide. However, their defense encountered significant struggles, allowing a concerning average of 32.9 ppg, ranking them 116th.

Furthermore, the Mountaineers were not even competitive as six of their seven losses came by 10 or more points. Their seven losses came by an average of 17.1 points per game. After losing starting quarterback JT Daniels and once again struggling on the recruiting trail, it's hard to envision West Virginia fielding a significantly better team next season.

Given the lingering quarterback uncertainty and the persisting defensive issues, it's highly likely that Brown's seat will grow hotter as the season progresses.