FROM WVU ATHLETICS

 

West Virginia University coach Neal Brown was one of three coaches elected to the American Football Coaches Association’s Board of Trustees by members attending the virtual 2021 AFCA Convention today as announced by the organization.

 

Brown will represent the Big 12 Conference, Louisiana coach Billy Napier will represent the Sun Belt Conference and Arkansas coach Sam Pittman will be the Southeastern Conference representative.

 

Brown, Napier and Pittman will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John?Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA?Board of Trustees include incoming president Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern, first vice president Craig Bohl of Wyoming, second vice president Todd Knight of Ouachita Baptist and third vice president David Cutcliffe of Duke.

 

Also serving on the Board in 2021 are Jeff McMartin, Central College (Iowa); Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia; Danny Rocco, Delaware; Paul Winters, Wayne State (Michigan); Ken Niumatalolo, Navy; David Shaw, Stanford; Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest; Steve Ryan, Morningside; Bobby Hauck, Montana; Lance Leipold, Buffalo; Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Bobby Kennedy, Stanford, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Issues Committee; Michael Christensen, Lakewood (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee; and Mark McElroy, Saddleback College, ex officio member and Junior College representative. AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.

 

Brown, who was named the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team’s honorary coach in September, completed his second season at West Virginia by leading the Mountaineers to a 6-4 record and a win over Army in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He came to West Virginia in 2019 after spending four seasons as the head coach at Troy, compiling a 35-16 overall record with three bowl game victories.

 

Editor's Note: Photo of Brown courtesy of www.benqueenphotography.com