Neal Brown plans to accept an offer to become the next head coach at Troy, FootballScoop has learned. Brown replaces Larry Blakeney, who announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season on Oct. 5. Troy and Kentucky concluded their regular seasons on Saturday afternoon.
Sources tell us that Troy will likely announce the hire on Monday.
Brown is in his second year as the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, helping head coach Mark Stoops improve the Wildcats from a 2-10 to 5-7 this season.
A Kentucky native that played at Kentucky and Massachusetts, Brown spent his formative years at the FCS level on the East Coast, coaching at UMass, Sacred Heart and Delaware for a year each. He broke into FBS working for the man he'll be replacing, Larry Blakeney, as the inside receivers coach at Troy in 2006. In 2008, at the age of 28, Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Tommy Tuberville hired Brown to join his staff at Texas Tech as offensive coordinator where he served from 2010-2012.
Troy finished 11th nationally in yards per play in 2009, and Brown helped Texas Tech place 14th nationally in his final season in Lubbock. Brown has also helped Kentucky jump 44 spots nationally from the year prior to his arrival to this season.
At 34, Brown will become the second-youngest head coach in FBS, trailing only Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck.
We hear Brown is unlikely to bring many, if any, of the current Kentucky full-time assistants with him to Troy. Brown is very familiar with Troy's current staff and could possibly retain some of the current staff is what we are told.
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