West Virginia's ideal replacement for Neal Brown would be a far cry from Jimbo Fisher

Jimbo Fisher may hail from West Virginia, but he is not the right man to lead the West Virginia Mountaineers should Neal Brown falter. To be fair, it is kind of shocking that Brown is still at WVU. I thought he was a goner after the 2022 college football season. Once Shane Lyons was out, I suspected that Wren Baker would look for a head coach better equipped to win big in the Big 12.

Then last year happened. Brown had WVU playing quite well, enough to where I thought the 'Eers would be a force to be reckoned with in league play this year. That has not been the case. West Virginia is 4-4 on the season and has not taken advantage of the power void at the top of the league after Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC. West Virginia has too much history to be an afterthought.

I have yet to put this in writing, until now. I am afraid that Brown's 2023 season was essentially the Dino Babers dead cat bounce. Just when you thought Syracuse was done with its underperforming head coach, the Orange would then win around 10 games. It would happen every few years, thus perpetuating the cycle. Brown won big at Troy because everyone but Gerad Parker wins big at Troy.

If I had to move on from Brown after this season, I would look at one coach with College Station ties. However, I would prefer to let Fisher live off his Gig Em buyout money as the snake oil salesman he is.

The preferred next head coach to lead West Virginia is not Jimbo Fisher

When West Virginia was at its peak as a program under Rich Rodriguez some 20 years ago, the Mountaineers were running a high-octane, ground-centric offense. Fate would have it, Texas A&M is running just that under former Kansas State superstar quarterback Collin Klein. The Heisman Trophy finalist from way back in the day is firmly in his mid-30s now and has emerged as one elite play caller.

The thing I like the most about Klein as an offensive mind is how adaptable he is. Texas A&M is on fire, having won its last seven games after dropping Week 1 at home to fellow College Football Playoff contender Notre Dame. Klein has not always had a healthy, or even a reliable, Conner Weigman at quarterback. Regardless, he has been able to win big with Marcel Reed filling in and then taking over.

Given that Klein grew up in Colorado, starred in Kansas and has worked in Texas, it is safe to say that he is going to be able to recruit the type of players to win at a place like West Virginia. College football fans remember Klein as one of the most electrifying dual-threat quarterbacks of his generation. He is mature beyond his years and would not make it about himself as Fisher likely would if he took over.

Overall, Klein checks all the boxes of an up-and-coming head coach you would want to lead your team moving up from a coordinator position. Mature, bright, young, sharp and relatable. He has worked for three elite coaches in the profession in the iconic Bill Snyder and Chris Klieman at his alma mater of K-State, as well as one of the best newish head coaches in the Power Four in Mike Elko.

It may not be so simple, but Klein is the ideal head coach to take over at a program like West Virginia.