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Neal Brown Is Eager to Try His Hand at West Virginia's One-of-a-Kind Challenge

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Even before their lunch together this spring, Neal Brown knew of Don Nehlen’s accomplishments. He’d read about how Nehlen revived a sluggish football program in 1980, won more games than any other coach in West Virginia history and inspired the passion Mountaineers fans are now known for. What Brown, 39, did not know is that Nehlen’s memory at 83 is just as sharp as it was in his coaching days: He can still name the hometown and home state of each of his 22 starters on the 1988 team that fell one win shy of a national championship.